Women are the caregivers in our society, and yet they most often do not take the best care of themselves. At Fort Sanders we treat the moms, sisters, and daughters of our area with comprehensive care.
Women’s health issues include menstruation, contraception, maternal health, child birth, menopause and breast cancer. They can also include medical situations special to women, including hormone therapy, heart disease and osteoporosis.
Gynecology
Physicians who specialize in the practice of gynecology focus on the health of a woman’s reproductive system — uterus, vagina and ovaries. Whether a woman is becoming sexually active, seeking contraception, beginning the family planning process, or suffering from an illness or infection of the reproductive system, a gynecologist can help manage their treatment.
At Fort Sanders, we are pleased to offer women a choice of seeing a gynecology specialist or a gynecology/obstetrics specialist.
The field of gynecology has grown over the past several years and treatment modalities have improved. Gynecologists use either medical or surgical therapies to treat their patients. With our aging population, hormone therapy and gynecologic surgeries focusing on bladder repair and hysterectomy are prevalent. Some physicians have also received training in new, robotically assisted surgery techniques for select gynecologic procedures.
Maternity Services
Your little one is on the way, and you want the best care possible. With either routine or high-risk pregnancies, at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, we have the physicians and experience you need to deliver your baby:
- Skilled, experienced obstetricians/gynecologists who deliver more than 2,500 babies a year.
- Fort Sanders Perinatal Center
- Teddy Bear University’s pre- and post-natal education classes
We make your baby’s first experience beautiful…
- Five triage rooms for women experiencing problems or signs of early labor
- 7 ante-partum suites for women who need extended hospital stays before delivery
- 12 labor and delivery suites, complete with showers for maximum comfort during labor
- 6 LDRP suites, for mothers preferring to labor, deliver, recover and welcome their newborns all in the same room with prior approval and availability.
- 34 post-partum rooms, where new moms can recover and greet loved ones
- Attractive décor, comfortable furniture, gorgeous views of mountains, rooftop gardens or downtown Knoxville
- Renovated nursery – actually three in one!
- A well-baby nursery
- Observation nursery for babies who need extra attention
- Isolation nursery
- Quiet time throughout the floor
Skill and Experience
At Fort Sanders Regional, we have more physicians and deliver more babies than any other facility in the area. In addition, your specialty staff includes:
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Perinatologists (specializing in the prenatal care of women with complex medical and/or obstetrical conditions)
- Neonatologists (specializing in the care of newborn babies)
- Pediatricians
- Anesthesiologists
- Certified nurse practitioners
- Certified nurse anesthetists
- Certified clinical nurse educator
- Certified lactation consultants
- Social worker
- Certified registered nurses
Nationally Recognized for Excellence in Women’s Minimally Invasive Surgery
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is the first Tennessee hospital to be named a Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Women’s Surgery by the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS)
Fort Sanders Regional is one of only 30 medical centers in the United States to earn the AIMIS Center of Excellence designation. Fort Sanders offers laparoscopic and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, particularly laparoscopic hysterectomy, that has produced excellent patient outcomes and meets the highest standards of quality and safety set by the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery.
Minimally invasive surgery, sometimes known as laparoscopic surgery, is an alternative to traditional open surgery. For patients, the advantages of minimally invasive surgery include smaller incisions, less pain and blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery. At Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, 99 percent of hysterectomies are performed using minimally invasive surgery. According to the AIMIS, the national average is 30 percent. Hysterectomies are the second most common surgery among women- nearly ⅓ of all women will need this procedure during their lifetime.
The American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery recognizes hospitals and physicians who excel and provide leadership in leading-edge women’s surgical techniques. For more information, please visit aimis.org.
Patient Stories
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Tammy Brooks arrived by helicopter at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center at least 24 hours – maybe even several days – after suffering an acute ischemic stroke.
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A local man survived the type of stroke that normally kills 80 percent of its victims. He’s doing so well, he just moved to Europe and is enjoying life to its fullest. It’s been three and a half years since Ken Harrawood suffered a stroke. It hit while he was driving to Y-12 for his first day of work with Bechtel. He now lives in Manchester, England.
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Adam Hill gets the tools in place for the next life-saving surgery in the interventional radiology lab at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. As lead tech, Hill knows this place like the back of his hand. He never dreamed he’d be a patient receiving treatment here, suffering from a ruptured aneurysm, like so many patients he’s helped treat.
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Since recovering from a stroke, Paul DeWitt appreciates simple pleasures that are easily taken for granted. He grasps a cup of coffee. He smiles and laughs. He even appreciates the ability to whistle.
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Jane Coleman heard her husband make an odd noise, “almost like hiccups but not exactly,” but when she turned to look at him, she knew immediately what was happening: He was having a stroke.
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After suffering four strokes and receiving life-saving treatment at Fort Sanders Regional, Gilbert Rodriguez has a new perspective on life.