National Women's Health Week: Marshall Ob/gyn Answers the Call

May 9, 2017 —Robert Carter, MD, takes great pride in his job’s primary function.

“I have a passion to deliver health care, and my main focus is women’s health,” he said. “We pride ourselves in delivering compassionate care.”

One of seven women’s health practitioners at Marshall OB/GYN, Dr. Carter stands as an example of dedication to women’s health. National Women's Health Week (May 14-20) is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health.

Dr. Carter works together with nurse practitioner Kathryn Sullivan, NP and have over 35 years of combined experience providing compassionate heath care for women of El Dorado County. In addition to empowering women to take steps to improve their health, the Marshall OB/GYN clinic providers use innovation to advance the quality of clinical outcomes.

Since 2013, Dr. Carter and colleague Michele Cherry, MD, have been certified to use da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery, and enhanced recovery anesthesia to achieve some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation for outpatient hysterectomies. “For a procedure that once required an inpatient hospital stay, the typical elapsed time from admission to discharge is a mere five hours,” added Dr. Carter.

Such advances are worth noting. Improvements in women’s health are a theme of National Women’s Health Week, a time to empower women to make their health a priority and to encourage them to improve their health.

To this end, Marshall recommends women to take the following steps:

• Schedule yearly well-woman visits (checkup) and preventive screenings.
• Get active: Each week, spend 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity.
• Eat healthy: Develop a healthy eating plan that helps you choose foods based on your height, weight, and other information.
• Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.
• Avoid unhealthy behaviors: Say “no” to smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet.

“Our primary care doctors and OB/GYNs are great resources to help women not just get healthy, but also to prevent illness,” Dr. Carter said. “We are here to deliver the kind of patientspecific care our female patients need.”

For more information or to choose a Marshall OB/GYN in Placerville or Cameron Park, visit www.marshallmedical.org.

Marshall is an independent, nonprofit community healthcare provider located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills. Marshall includes Marshall Hospital, a fully accredited acute care facility with 125 beds in Placerville; several outpatient facilities in Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills and Georgetown; and many community health and education programs. Marshall has more than 200 physicians and 1,500 employees providing quality healthcare services to more than 180,000 residents of El Dorado County.