It may surprise you to learn that WholeHealth Chicago has been trying to find the right gynecologist to join our group for more than 16 years. “What?” you ask. “Why so long?”
We did know we needed one. Just sit in our waiting room or shop the apothecary and it occurs to you that a lot of women come to WHC. Why haven’t we had a gynecologist? There are reasons for this:
- Integrative physicians of any specialty (primary care, gynecology, pediatrics) are in very short supply. Integrative physicians are comfortable with and confident about recommending alternative therapies (nutritional counseling and supplements vs. prescription drugs; chiropractic, Chinese medicine, and energy therapies like Healing Touch vs. back surgery). Integrative cardiologists and surgeons are virtually non-existent.
- Once a young gynecologist finishes her training, she’s usually snapped up by one of the big medical groups, offered a generous salary, and is busy from Day One. She needs the salary to repay her student loans (often more than $200,000) and needs the group to fund her malpractice insurance. The group usually has specific rules against using integrative therapies.
- If she wants to learn integrative, functional, and alternative therapies, she’s on her own. If she does pursue this path, after years of self-study she realizes she’ll never get to use her new skills unless she opens her own office. Because she’s likely still paying off medical school debt, she doesn’t have the capital to accomplish this. There are probably quite a few young gynecologists who are fairly knowledgeable about integrative medicine, but they’re stuck in a massive, conservative system. Many would like integrative options to be part of their everyday practice, but the medical group has no herbalists, no homeopaths, no energy healers.
When Andrea Lee, MD, board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, sent over her curriculum vitae (which included training in integrative medicine) along with a cover letter asking if we were considering adding a gynecologist to our staff, I didn’t shout out loud, “For 16 years, Dr Lee! Where have you been?”
Instead, we called her.
Credentials
Her credentials are a perfect fit for WholeHealth Chicago: Pre-med at Northwestern, majoring in psychology. Medical school at Southern Illinois University, from where she graduated with honors in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Family Practice, and Psychiatry.
Her OB-GYN residency was at Georgetown University in Washington, DC (1992-1996), where she served as chief resident in 1999 and received awards for outstanding resident (2000) and best resident teacher (1998). She also did volunteer OB-GYN medicine at a mission hospital on St. Lucia in the West Indies in 2000.
Dr Lee began her career as a staff physician in OB-GYN at Washington Hospital (2001-2003) but had always been interested in community medicine, caring for the medically underserved.
Birth center project
For the past several years, her dream has been to open Chicago’s first birth center. Because we don’t have many birth centers in the US, many women have never heard of them. Imagine a beautifully designed building, more like a home than a hospital, where you receive all care from midwives and doulas, rarely needing actual intervention from a physician. I’ve visited several birth centers around the country and generally they look more like Caribbean resorts than hospitals. But despite their upscale appearance, birth centers are available to everyone.
Dr Lee has made good progress with her birth center project, and her ultimate goal is to serve as a birth center medical director, supervising and teaching the ancillary staff.
While working at Erie, Dr Lee began her study of integrative medicine and recently completed the Integrative Medicine Scholars Program at Northwestern.
Dr Lee has started at WholeHealth Chicago (gynecology only, no obstetrics), and she’s accepting appointments now. She’ll do all the procedures you might expect: annual exams (Pap/HPV), IUD insertions, biopsies, colposcopies, and the like. But unlike most area gynecologists, you’ll also be able to get bioidentical hormone therapy, an herbal recommendation, or a referral to an acupuncturist, homeopath, nutritionist, or energy healer.
Please read her bio here.
We’re really excited that Dr Lee has joined us!
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD
Congrats to WHC and all their clients! What a great addition.
Jill Hileman
Yeah, welcome Dr. Lee! Thanks, Dr. E, for hiring her! ??????
One question; does she accept any insurance? Medicare, by chance?
To Brenda…I can vouch for estradiol being very effective with excellent results for vaginal atrophy & minimal side-effects. I’m quite sensitive to medications & have used Estrace Cream with very good results. I was initially placed on a more frequent & higher ‘loading’ dose & experienced an increase in tiredness & a slight dip in my mood. As soon as my dosage was changed to a maintenance level, the minimal side-effects vanished & it has completely taken care of my vaginal atrophy. It also comes in various forms, including Estrace Cream, a vaginal suppository called Vagifem & several types of topical applications; various patches & gels. I’m currently using Vagifem & a very tiny amount of the Estrace, but will be switching to a topical gel or patch in the near future.
Frankly, I was amazed with how quickly my atrophy was resolved with estradiol!
Also, the research regarding HRT that were released several years ago that claimed all sorts of adverse effects with HRT were studying women who were taking synthetic hormones; estradiol is not synthetic.
HTH ?
Jules
Jules. BC/BS
Dr. R
Hi Brenda
How do you feel about a compromise–inserting estradiol vaginal suppositories three times a week? There’s virtually no systemic absorption and plenty of local estrogen to prevent vaginal atrophy
Dr E
I am just so concerned about side effects. I’ve suffered with the side effects from Psych meds and the damage done to me. What are the ingredients in Estradiol?
BRENDA BAEHR
Hi Brenda. Estradiol is a form of estrogen; a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries.
Dr. R
What is recommended for post hysterectomy 7 years ago for vaginal atrophy. My GYN insists on HRT….I am not going to take them. Would oil of evening primrose or vitamin E inserted in vagina work or at least help some?
BRENDA BAEHR
I’ve been hoping this would happen, then everything would be in one place. When can we start booking appointments?
Victoria
Victoria. Dr. Lee begins seeing patients on Thursday, December 8.
Dr. R
Welcome Dr Lee !!!
Suzanne
Congratulations. Had 2 home births, 32 and 30 years ago, one of which required hospitalization for placenta accreta; glad there was a hospital nearby, but still opted for a second home birth which went without a hitch. It would have been nice to have another option when I realized that there can be glitches with birthing, and had I had not had emergency surgery, I would have died in childbirth, just like the “good old days.” It’s wonderful that you have a doctor for women on board who is working toward safe and happy deliveries.
Phoebe Monroe
This is fantastic! Too bad I live in Massachusetts. There was a center similar to yours here outside of Boston but it closed with barely any notice due to financial issues. My integrative doctor (primary) moved out of state and I’m still working on tracking down some of the other doctors in that practice. I just wish ALL of medicine went in this integrative direction as we’ll ALL be much healthier as a nation 🙂
Michelle
Hi Michelle. You might try the Rothfeld Center.
https://www.rothfeldcenter.com/
Dr. R
This is amazing!
I cannot wait to meet her and hear more about her center. As a child development specialist (trained past partum doula, too), I would love to hear more about her plans!
Welcome, Dr. Lee.
Laurie
Awesome news!
Judith Gold
Wonderful news.
Cynthia Revels
Wonderful news!!! What a blessing for the Whole Health female population??
Pat