No matter your age or what stage you are in life, Women's Health Connecticut is ready to provide you with the ObGyn care and compassionate support you need, the way you want it to be. Our expert physicians and clinicians are committed to addressing all of the unique needs you may have and work collaboratively to provide coordinated, comprehensive care.
Women's Health Connecticut is the largest ObGyn physician practice in the region, and the most focused. Our more than 250 providers and 90 locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts are solely devoted to women, making the high-quality ObGyn care you deserve as simple and accessible as possible. Women's Health Connecticut has been a group practice since 1997 and is highly-respected as a pioneer and a model for other practices around the country.
Founded in 1997, Womens Health Connecticut is a network of exemplary providers, who have an unrivaled devotion to women. Together, we focus strictly on womens health, providing the women of Connecticut and central Massachusetts access to the most skilled ObGyns and a consistent level of compassionate care across all of our locations. Since our founding we have not only grown to be the largest single-specialty practice in Connecticut, but have also become one of the largest and most successful womens health groups in the nation.
Care is at its best when you are at your bestallowed to focus on your patients and their specific health needs. Women's Health Connecticut is a firm believer in strengthening these unique physician-patient relationships, doing all we can through the network to streamline the business of practicing medicine so that our providers can focus on delivering the best clinical care. By offering a full spectrum of management solutions that empower physicians, Womens Health Connecticut enables physicians to grow financially while advancing the quality and access of womens care. Womens Health Connecticut MSO offerings:
With data-driven analyses that demonstrates how quality care leads to plan savings, our payer contracting strategies puts physicians in a position of strength to achieve contracting success. CT partner physicians experience significantly increased reimbursements over standard market rates.
Through our revenue cycle management, we provide tailored technology solutions, including athenahealth, that will streamline the financial process, making billing and collections more dependable and complete.
To allow physicians to move their business forward, we created a successful ObGyn captive insurance company that provides early intervention and claims management strategies so physicians can achieve insurance rates that are 20-30% lower than comparable commercial insurance rates.
Our financial management services puts physicians on a path for growth and insulates them from changes in consumer habits. Womens Health Connecticut has created financial solutions specifically tailored for womens health practices so physicians can position themselves to succeed now and down the road.
Most importantly, Womens Health Connecticut offers a partnership model that allows individual practices to retain independence and autonomy in their daily operations. This true partnership brings collaboration and support when its needed most. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic,and as practices begin to regain their operational footing, Womens Health Connecticuthas been at the table helping our physicians create a safe environment for returning staff, observe newly-changing guidelines, and navigate their way back to safely seeing patients. As the months continue,we will continue to help practices analyze their business metrics, offer financial guidance, and help them with long-range preparedness in the event of a COVID-19 resurgence.
On a daily basis, Womens Health Connecticut provides insights and ideas, clinical protocols and peer-driven discussions that lead to higher physician satisfaction and better patient experience and outcomes. Through long-standing experience and expert support, independent ObGyn physicians retain autonomy of their daily practice while gaining access to new avenues for financial growth and success.
Richard S. Ruben, M.D. is one of the founders and is President of Physicians for Womens Health (PWH), the nations largest single group practice dedicated to women and formed in 1997. He also is one of the founders and Chairman of the Board of Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), which was formed in August 1997, by teaming PWH physicians with an established group of health care management experts. Dr. Ruben has been practicing medicine for over 30 years and is the head of his local office of eight physicians in Danbury, CT. In addition, he served as Acting Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Danbury Hospital, a regional teaching hospital with a residency program affiliated with Yale University.
Dr. Ruben is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He received his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University where he graduated magna cum laude. Dr. Ruben is a graduate of George Washington University of Medicine. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Magee Womens Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Following residency, Dr. Ruben became chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Walson Army Hospital in Fort Dix, New Jersey where he received the Army commendation medal for outstanding service. Dr. Ruben has been included in the Connecticut Magazines list of the states Top Docs.
Dr. Ruben was a founder and member of the Board of the Danbury Hospital Foundation. He is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Association of Gynecological Laparoscopists, Connecticut State Medical Society, as well as the Fairfield County Medical Association.
Nancy Bernstein is President and Chief Executive Officer of Womens Health Connecticut, which supports a network of over 200 physicians and other health care professionals in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She is also a founder, chairman, and president of the ARK Indemnity Company, the Bermuda-based captive insurance company of Womens Health, providing professional liability insurance for the Connecticut ob/gyns and two IVF practices in CT. In addition to these roles, Nancy serves as Eastern Division President of Womens Health USA.
Nancy has deep commitments to the community. She received United Ways highest community service award in 2017 and was recognized by the Hartford Business Journal in 2019 with a Women in Business award.
Matthew L. Saidel, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer for Physicians for Womens Health (PWH), Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), and Womens Health USA (WHUSA). As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Saidel is responsible for the oversight of medical quality, clinical innovation, and patient safety.
He was one of the founders of PWH and WHC, formed in 1997. PWH is the nations largest single group practice dedicated to women, and WHC is the management services organization formed in partnership with WHUSA which also partners with other groups across the country.
Dr. Saidel received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University, earned his medical degree from Rosalind Franklin University, and completed his obstetrics and gynecology internship and residency training at Hartford Hospital. He is Board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He practiced Ob-Gyn for 40 years, delivering thousands of babies, caring for many women for decades, and teaching generations of medical students and residents at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Saidel was a perennial best doctor in both the Hartford region and the State of Connecticut. His expertise extends beyond clinical medicine, to medical staff governance, risk management, and he also serves as medical director of the Womens Health Connecticut lab, and the ARK, WHCs captive insurance company.
He is a proud father and grandfather and has been married to his much better half Sue since 1974. In his spare time, he is an accomplished musician, and can often be found at the piano, singing with family, friends, and accompanying professional singers.
Dr. Daniel (Dan) Welling serves one of the medical directors for Womens Health Connecticut. His focus is on advancing the organizations strength in information technology to meet changing regulatory and patient demands. In his role, he leads efforts to streamline office workflow and medical record technologies - giving patients optimal access and convenience in their health care experience.
Along with his role as medical director, Dan is a leading physician at Manchester Ob-Gyn Associates, after having joined the group in 1988. In addition to serving the obstetric and gynecologic needs of his patients, he is currently one of only a handful of ObGyns in Connecticut who does full vaginal reconstructive surgery. He also has significant experience with minimally invasive surgery including robotics and hysteroscopy.
Dan received his medical degree from St. Georges University of Medicine in 1982 and completed his residency at Hartford Hospital. He is board-certified by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His undergraduate degree is from Bates College.
Keith J. Falter, M.D. joined Women's Health Connecticut in 2012. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Physicians for Women's Health and Women's Health Connecticut. As Medical Director, Dr. Falter is primarily responsible for the quality and best medical practice. Dr. Falter chairs the medical best practice committee for Women's Health Connecticut.
Dr. Falter was previously trained as a physician assistant and earned his medical degree from The American University of Antigua. He is board-certified and is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He currently practices in Danbury, Connecticut where he completed his residency training. Following his training, Dr. Falter served as the Medical Student Clerkship Director for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Danbury Hospital. He holds academic teaching positions at multiple medical schools including the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Connie DiGiacomo joined Womens Health in August 2018 as the Corporate Controller, bringing over 30 years of experience in accounting and finance. As the Chief Financial Officer, Connie is responsible for oversight of the accounting department and all the financial reporting for Womens Health Connecticut. She has a strong knowledge of accounting and finance and is recognized as a leader in the Finance Department at Women's Health USA. Connie is involved with key PWH and WHC initiatives such as the lab, mammography services, and additional expansion.
As Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Paula Greenberg is responsible for clinical programs and operations, including quality risk management, compliance, and clinical oversight of pay for performance and value-based payment programs. She has led performance improvement initiatives for patient satisfaction, leadership development and office staff training programs. With over 20 years in health care management, Paula is responsible for developing and supporting revenue generating programs and services including imaging in-office procedures and tele-health.
Prior to joining Women's Health Connecticut, Paula was the Director of Antepartum & Gynecology Services at Hartford Hospital. She was responsible for inpatient high-risk obstetrics, gynecology, gynecologic oncology, and outpatient prenatal testing. Paula also held additional nursing positions at Hartford Hospital, specializing in general and gynecologic surgery, oncology and medicine.
Paula holds an MBA with a Health Care Management concentration and BSN. She is a member of several professional organizations. Paula served two terms as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District I, Public Member. Paula has served on several city and state task forces to improve the quality of womens health and is a current member the State of Connecticut Council on Protecting Womens Health.
Leslie joined Womens Health in 2014, bringing 25+ years experience with consumer and B-to-B brands to her position as Senior Vice President, Marketing. In this role, she currently oversees a team of marketing professionals and outside agencies in the strategy and execution of all brand and marketing efforts for the organization and several of its partner entities. Leslies commitment to understanding the rapidly-evolving health care landscape, changing consumer behavior and market-by-market nuances, has led to significant success in positioning partners as brand leaders in their markets, and in patient acquisition and retention. Leslie also manages patient experience measurement efforts and is co-chair of the committee on Advocacy for Women with the Connecticut partner group. Her introduction to Womens Health was on the brand consultancy side at her previous firm where she spearheaded the development of the original brand strategy and marketing program for Womens Health.
Kristen joined Womens Health in 2017 after 5 years with Harvard Pilgrim. While on the payor side, she was a Regional Contract Lead developing and negotiating arrangements with health systems, IPAs, and physician providers of varying size and complexity. In addition to her negotiating skills, she has particular strengths in strategic assessment and action, understanding and enforcing compliance, and provider relations. At Harvard Pilgrim, she was able to build a network from the ground up to 15,000 providers a true testament to her ability to build and manage strong relationships and to oversee a team dedicated to the same. Prior to Harvard Pilgrim, Kristen held positions with Beacon Health Strategies and UnitedHealthcare.
As Vice President of Managed Care Contracting and Laboratory Services, Cara is responsible for the development and execution of managed care contracting strategies for Womens Health Connecticut providers and for operational oversight of the Womens Health Connecticut Laboratory. In this role, she is responsible for negotiating fee-for-service reimbursement rates, pay-for-performance programs and value based payment arrangements with national and local health plans and PPO networks. Cara also launched the Womens Health Connecticut Laboratory, leading the venture from a feasibility analysis through construction and accreditation to become one of the countrys largest womens health focused labs.
In addition to her significant experience working for physicians, Cara also has experience in health plan operations, having played a critical role in provider network development and provider relations for a large Medicaid-focused health plan.
Connecticut Childrens, the states only dedicated pediatric health system, today announced a first of its kind partnership with Womens Health Connecticut, the states largest collaborative network of ObGyn providers, based in Avon. Together the two...
CTHealthLink (CTHL), the Connecticut State Medical Societys (CSMS) robust health information exchange and analytics platform, announced today that Womens Health Connecticut has joined the network. Serving nearly 300,000 patients annually across 85...
Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), one of the nations largest single-specialty OB-GYN (obstetric/gynecology) networks, today announced that it has partnered with Nest Collaborative, the creator of the first virtual lactation platform,to provide expe...
Women's Health Connecticut (WHC), the states largest collaborative network of womens health care providers and a division of Womens Health USA, is proud to partner with the State of Connecticut on its Network of Distinction program. In collabora...
Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), one of the nations largest and most successful single-specialty groups, announced today that New Britain OB/GYN, has joined its overall network. The move further solidifies WHCs position as Connecticuts premier Ob...
Avon, Connecticut, January 6, 2020 Physicians for Womens Health, doing business as Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), one of the nations largest and most successful single-specialty physician networks, announced today that it will enter into partn...
MidState Medical Center recently held a ceremony for the 2018 Physician of the Year, Cynthia McCraven, MD, FACOG of the Womens Center of Southern New England, a Womens Health Connecticut practice. This award selects a physician each year that is an...
Nancy Bernstein, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Womens Health USA; and President and CEO of Women's Health Connecticut, was highlighted in a stand-alone piece by the Hartford Business Journal as a2019 Women in Business Award winner.Na...
Congratulations to Nancy Bernstein, President and COO of Womens Health USA; and President and CEO of Womens Health Connecticut for receiving the 2019 International Womens Forum of Connecticut (IWFCT) Leadership Award. Each year, the Leadership Awa...
Womens Health Connecticut Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Matthew Saidel, was recently mentioned in theRegistered Citizen,in an article about approaching menopausal care. While considered a natural phase of life for women, menopause can be an overwhelm...
West Hartford Liferecently highlighted Womens Health Connecticut ObGynDr. Michael Bourqueand his life-changing experience that began with a surgical mission in the Dominican Republic in its May issue. As a member of the team atWoodland Women's H...
September 21, 2017 Hartford, CT- Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV) has released areportdetailing its latest efforts to expand the number and type of healthcare providers being trained on and screening patients for intimate pa...
Womens Health Connecticut Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Matthew Saidel sat down with WNPRs Lucy Nalpathanchil, host of the Where We Liveradio talk show, to discuss the societal stigma surrounding miscarriage. Dr. Saidel spoke about why miscarriages h...
Just before the new year, an important piece of legislation was signed by the President, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act. Formally titledH.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2017-2018, updates and expands the Centers for Disease Con...
Dr. Matthew Saidel,Chief Medical Officer of Womens Health Connecticut, was a featured guest on local news talk radio showHealthcare Matterson WTIC 1080. He discussed what hospitals are doing across the nation to ensure the safety of mothers durin...
We proudly congratulate the physicians honored as Connecticuts Best Doctors of 2019 byConnecticut Magazine.This annual list contains doctors nominated by their peers as the practitioner they would send a loved one to for expert medical care across...
Recently approved legislation modifying state laws around certain types of medical care and procedures has raised prominent conversation about federal access to treatment. Notably, a bill passed by the Alabama Senate holds physicians liable for condu...
Womens Health Connecticut partners with management services organization Womens Health USA to bring Connecticut ObGyn physicians together in a group practice structure to help manage their business effectively and efficiently. Thanks to this partnership, they can spend less time on business issues and more time caring for patients.
The driving mission of both Women's Health Connecticut and Women's Health USA is to provide the best quality health care to patients while protecting, supporting, and enhancing the role of independent physicians. It takes a strong group of employees across multiple disciplines to make this happen.
Womens Health Connecticut is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment-related decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, religion or belief, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Womens Health Connecticut will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
Connecticut Childrens, the states only dedicated pediatric health system, today announced a first of its kind partnership with Womens Health Connecticut, the states largest collaborative network of ObGyn providers, based in Avon. Together the two organizations have opened a Womens After-Hours Care & Pediatric Urgent Care at Connecticut Childrens Farmington Campus at 599 Farmington Avenue, Farmington. The innovative partnership with Womens Health Connecticut is the first step in a new strategy to reimagine family-centered care by offering one location for women and children to receive health care in a coordinated, seamless and welcoming space.
Pediatric services currently offered at Connecticut Childrens urgent care clinic will now be joined by Womens Healths full range of after-hours ObGyn services for all women (those with children, those soon to be moms, and those without children.)
This will be an unparalleled medical destination for women and children in Connecticut. Research conducted by Womens Health Connecticut showed high interest for this service along with a willingness to drive 30+ minutes to get care, said Womens Health Connecticut President and CEO, Nancy Bernstein. This partnership is centered on providing personalized and comprehensive care for the women and children of our communities. And unlike more generic after-hours care options, were 100% devoted to women and children.
In recent years, patient demand has shifted toward more accessible and convenient womens healthcare services. This site will help keep our patients out of the emergency room, reduce costs, and prevent them from putting off necessary care, said Dr. Matthew L. Saidel, Chief Medical Officer, Womens Health Connecticut. Its central to our mission that patients feel were listening and innovating around their needs. There are so many instances where an emergency room ends up treating a patient when there are other options, and we want to ensure the care and cost match the patients need.
The new Womens After-Hours Care and Pediatric Urgent Care in Farmington is open on evenings and weekends for all existing and new patients. In its first full month of operation, the facility has treated hundreds of patients so far.
Connecticut Childrens is the only health system in Connecticut dedicated to children, providing more than 30 pediatric specialties along with community-based programs. Were known for exceptional care that kids and parents love, conveniently delivered at locations close to home and by Video Visit. Our experts lead breakthrough research and innovative partnerships, and have won awards for everything from nursing excellence to patient-friendly technology. U.S. News & World Report named us a best childrens hospital in the nation.
Connecticut Childrens provides the highest level of coordinated care to the children of Connecticut and the region. As the only independent childrens health system in the state of CT, by partnering with adult health systems across the state, we are able to bring more pediatric services to the community, making it easier for children to receive the specialty care they need, when they need it. Connecticut Childrens is committed to providing expert specialty care through every stage of a child's development, from newborn all the way through transition from adolescence to adulthood. Connecticut Childrens is nationally recognized for advancing leadership and innovation in the family-centered care of newborns, children and young adults. The Connecticut Childrens Care Alliance includes partnerships with 13 hospitals across CT and NY.
Through the program and partnership, expectant mothers seen by WHCs providers will be referred to Nest for an insurance-covered prenatal session near the 32nd week of their pregnancies. Nest will pair mothers with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in its network, all of whom have been trained in a specific curriculum for prenatal and postnatal lactation support. Because of the virtual nature of Nests offering, consults will be available to all of WHC's obstetric patients, which equates to an estimated 12,000 deliveries per year.
The best way to help a new breastfeeding mom is to offer the right education and information to get off to a great start, said Dr. Matthew Saidel, Chief Medical Officer for Womens Health Connecticut. By working with Nest, we are able to remove some key obstacles: the service is covered by insurance with no cost to mom, its delivered in the comfort of home, and the moms obstetrical care team is in the loop and available for support at all times.
The connection to an IBCLC will also help the mother achieve her breastfeeding goals and reap the full benefits, for both herself and her baby, of exclusively feeding her newborn breast milk through the 6-month period, as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).(1)
New approaches to breastfeeding support are needed. In the United States, 85% of new mothers attempt to breastfeed, but fewer than 30% make it through the recommended six-month period. As a result, six-month breastfeeding rates are lower in the U.S. than any other industrialized country(2). In recognition of the influence that education and help provided by IBCLCs has in improving outcomes, the Affordable Care Act now deems breastfeeding support an essential service to be offered to women with no out-of-pocket costs.
A doctors referral can make all the difference in moms breastfeeding outcomes, said Amanda Gorman, CEO and Founder of Nest Collaborative. Primary research done by Nest among pregnant moms produced the clear finding that if moms are told by their doctors that they should take a breastfeeding class before the baby is born, theyll do it.3 With this ambitious program with WHUSA, we get the opportunity to see impact on a large scale.
About Nest Collaborative:Nest Collaborative, Farmington, CT, is the creator of the nations first virtual lactation platform. The companys nationwide network of lactation consultants is available to moms for same-day virtual consults, meaning more moms have access to the help that creates successful breastfeeding journeys. The company was also the first to offer mom a no-cost, insurance-paid experience, as envisioned under the Affordable Care Act. The company is backed by investors that include leading seed stage funds, many with specialties in health tech start-ups, including Altitude Ventures (Houston, TX), Bread and Butter Ventures (Minneapolis, MN), Wavemaker 360 (Los Angeles, CA), Connecticut Innovations, (New Haven, CT), Portfolia FemTech II Fund (San Mateo, CA) and Carnrite Ventures (Houston, TX.)
1.Optimizing Support for Breastfeeding as Part of an Obstetric Practice, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, October 2018.2.Data: Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; working paper, Brown University
Avon, Connecticut, January 6, 2020 Physicians for Womens Health, doing business as Womens Health Connecticut (WHC), one of the nations largest and most successful single-specialty physician networks, announced today that it will enter into partnership with Womens Health of Central Massachusetts (WHCMA), a highly-regarded and long-standing ObGyn practice based in Worcester, MA. The move further solidifies WHCs position as the regions largest ObGyn network and sets the course for continued expansion throughout New England.
The addition of WHCMA under the WHCs umbrella adds to WHCs continued growth as one of the largest and most successful womens health groups in the nation with more than 250 providers and over 80 locations in Connecticut alone. With WHCMA joining, both organizations can collaborate to enhance their efforts in providing the highest quality care to patients in their respective communities.
Nancy Bernstein, President and CEO of Womens Health Connecticut, stated We look forward to our new partnership with Womens Health of Central Massachusetts. Our dual focus will be working together to share learnings and broaden our strategies and services to best meet evolving patient demand for convenience and care coordination. WHCMA has a very strong reputation in the central Massachusetts market that complements what we have already created in Connecticut.
Abraham Fischer, MD and Peter Davidow, MD, both co-presidents and founders of the WHCMA organization, spearheaded the move. Dr. Fischer said, We are excited to work with Womens Health Connecticut. We have a shared vision for providing the highest quality of care for women and believe this arrangement will enhance our efforts to bring the most advanced, innovative care to women in our communities. This partnership allows us to maintain our focus on the best patient care while simultaneously moving into a new phase of growth.
Founded in 1997, Physicians for Womens Health (d/b/a Womens Health Connecticut) is currently one of the largest and most respected womens health networks in the nation, with more than 250 highly-trained and devoted healthcare providers. By focusing solely on womens health, WHC provides unsurpassed expertise and devotion to addressing the changing needs of women across Connecticut. Its commitment and united voice for women has been influential in the womens health space for more than 2 decades.
Womens Health of Central Massachusetts has been an OBGYN physician practice aimed at providing state-of-the-art obstetric and gynecologic care to patients from adolescence through menopause and beyond. Within the new partnership, its 15 providers will continue their reputation for offering a highly patient-centered environment, a caring experienced staff, comprehensive on-site services and a fully integrated team approach. WHCMA currently has four offices located throughout central Massachusetts in Worcester, Marlborough, Webster, and Southbridge.