Women’s History Month lies between the first and last days of March every year. Many significant women in history recognized during this month have worked to combat stigmas about women’s health and help women better maintain their physical well-being. Located in Wallingford, the Women’s Center of Southern New England has also supported the physical well-being of women by providing key services to help women of all backgrounds stay healthy.
The Women’s Center of Southern New England is part of a chain of women’s centers in Connecticut. The center has four working physicians specializing in women’s health. According to practice manager Barbara Masi, the physicians “provide services for women that are both gynecological and obstetric.” The center provides several services for women including endometrial ablation, gynecologic oncology, and lactation support. It also provides services specifically for pregnant women. Ms. Masi said, “The doctors and providers counsel patients if they need assistance with things like genetic testing or genetic counselling because they may have a history of breast cancer or other types of cancer that affect women, so that is something that the doctors take the time to help patients with.” Pregnant patients receive emotional support as well.
One of the center’s main jobs is to help pregnant women of all financial levels gain access to benefits such as extra food and any infant formula the mother might need. Ms. Masi said, “We see patients from all different backgrounds, and we help them maintain their health and well-being, especially during pregnancy.”
The staff at the center are all passionate about supporting women’s health. Ms. Masi said, “I chose to work with women in this practice because I felt that it is sometimes an underrepresented population.”
The center also serves as a safe space for women. Ms. Masi explained that the center is “very attentive to the issues that women face both healthwise and out of the community, whether that has to do with domestic violence, any kind of substance abuse or issues of that nature. We understand, and our level of compassion, because we build specifically with women, is unique.” The center tries to maintain a supportive, reassuring atmosphere that serves to comfort patients who might be victims of traumatic events.
Ms. Masi said that she and her colleagues “all work together to ensure that our patients receive the very best care we can give them.” She added, “We feel very good at [the] end of the day at being able to help patients.”
