THE WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE GROUP
Story by Lynne Hayes
Over 30 Years of Healthcare in Johnson County
A special brand of compassion. That’s how patients often describe The Women’s Healthcare Group, the full-service OB/GYN practice that has cared for women across Johnson County for more than three decades. That longevity alone speaks volumes about the practice’s reputation and also their popularity.
“I believe our patients choose us because they see very quickly that we treat them with respect and take a highly personalized approach,” observed Dr. Emily Bauer-Holthus, who has been with the practice since 2011. “My colleagues and I consider our patients as partners in their own care. All of us view the doctor-patient relationship as an open dialogue where patient viewpoints always matter.”
Bauer-Holthus is one of six OB/GYN specialists on The Women’s Healthcare Group team, which also includes Dr. Tony Moulton, Dr. Kelly Barikmo, Dr. Ellen Hernly, Dr. Elizabeth Dempsey, Dr. Timothy Martin and also certified midwife Jeane Ward. Most have been with the practice for more than a decade. Together, they care for the full spectrum of cycles women face throughout their lives, from puberty through menopause.
Most important, the doctors are there for one another and have mutual trust and respect among them. At Women’s Healthcare Group, there’s a huge commitment to ensuring that patients rarely have to wait very long for care. And in case of an emergency, there is always a doctor available to help.
Welcoming Babies Back as Patients
Delivering babies is, of course, a major focus of The Women’s Healthcare Group. Since the practice opened in 1991, thousands of newborns have been brought into the world by the physicians’ expert hands. But even more impressive is the fact that so many of the female babies choose the practice when they became teens and young adults. Some are still patients as they approach or undergo menopause and beyond.
“Many of my patients have brought their teenage daughters to see me. I feel honored to be entrusted not only to the mom’s care, but also to the care of their daughters,” shared Dr. Kelly Barikmo, who has been with the practice for more than 10 years. “I also love when the teens go off to college, move home, get married, and choose me again. It’s the same for my colleagues as well.”
Only the Best Technologies
With six doctors and a midwife on staff, The Women’s Healthcare Group patients enjoy the benefit of a highly collaborative team to oversee their needs; whether that involves guiding a patient through pregnancy and delivery or deciding the best approach to treat a specific female concern.
And because the practice is dedicated to providing state-of-the-art care, patients are treated to the latest innovations and technologies in the most convenient ways. That includes offering onsite sonograms and treatments for urinary incontinence right in the office; along with performing minimally invasive surgical procedures such as Endometrial Ablation to reduce heavy periods, and robotically assisted surgery using the Da Vinci Surgical System.
Da Vinci’s breakthrough technology combined with special laparoscopic instruments, allows enhanced visualization of disease and minimally invasive surgery options that may not be otherwise be possible. Dr Tony Moulton is one of the most experienced robotic gynecologic surgeons in the Kansas City area.
Thanks to Da Vinci, patients of The Women’s Healthcare Group no longer face lengthy recuperation following a hysterectomy. Dr. Tony Moulton has performed almost 1000 robotically assisted hysterectomies.
“Thanks to the Da Vinci, 99% of my patients go home the same day, and resume their normal activities quickly. Typically, my patients are driving themselves to their one-week follow-up appointment,” noted Dr. Moulton who has been with the practice since 2003 and has served for more than a decade as the Department Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kansas City University Medical School.
Expert Care for Infertility & Urinary Conditions
In addition to obstetrics, preventive gynecology, and gynecologic surgery, the practice also focuses on specialty issues such as infertility and urinary health.
Couples facing difficulty getting pregnant can work with the practice’s provider team to begin learning the “why” behind their fertility issues. The staff can perform a comprehensive evaluation, and often first line treatments such as lifestyle changes, medication, surgery, and/or assisted reproductive technologies that can be initiated by the physicians at the practice.
If more advanced intervention is needed, The Women’s Healthcare Group can call upon its three decades of relationships with other specialists to find the best fit for a patient’s needs.
Additionally, the doctors at The Women’s Healthcare Group are well aware that urinary incontinence and other urinary conditions affect 13 million women in the United States. They are focused on solving these issues. The practice stresses to all their patients that urinary incontinence is not an integral part of aging. Although it is not life threatening or painful, it can absolutely disrupt quality of life – which is why the physicians provide numerous simple, safe, and effective treatments that include medication and bladder retraining techniques with very successful outcomes.
Partnering with the Best Hospitals
The high quality of expert care provided by The Women’s Healthcare Group is enhanced by the relationships forged with Johnson County’s leading hospital systems. The practice partners with both Overland Park Regional (which is conveniently located across the street from the office), and with AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, both of whom offer superb patient-focused, state-of-the-art care for gynecological patients and obstetrics patients.
In fact, The Women’s Healthcare Group is the only practice that partners with both Overland Park Regional and AdventHealth – a HUGE advantage for a patient’s insurance consideration and also for providing a choice of hospital care.
Relationships That Last a Lifetime
The Women’s Healthcare Group is known for the compassionate relationships they develop with patients. All of the doctors shared that they were drawn to OB/GYN because it allowed them to build a true continuity of care. After all, they have the privilege of treating patients from the very beginning of womanhood through the post-menopausal years. “Not only does each phase face different
challenges, but each individual patient also has her own priorities of what she wants to discuss and plan for,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dempsey, the newest member of the physician team.
“I like to ask each patient when they come in, ‘if I could do one thing today to help you feel better physically and/or emotionally, what would it be?’ and I know my colleagues all share that philosophy of care. That’s what truly sets us apart.”
