Welcome to our new patients Return to Home Page   ...and thank you for selecting the services of Kate O'Hanlan, MD. My practice is devoted to the surgical care of women, including all aspects of office and surgical gynecology and gynecologic oncology. In our practice you also will meet and receive care from Rebecca Pinto, Physicians’ Associate, who will be integral in all steps of your care. We welcome new surgical gynecologic patients as well as all gynecologic cancer patients. I have extensive experience in all aspects of gynecologic surgery and gynecologic oncology (care for cancer of the ovary, uterus, cervix, and vulva and trophoblastic disease), and am board certified in gynecology and gynecologic oncology. Rebecca Pinto, PA-C, is experienced in diagnosing and treating cervical, vaginal and vulvar dysplasia. She also performs the pre- and post-operative care of cancer patients, as well as the well-woman follow-up that we offer our current and post-operative patients. We are always available for office care, hospital care, and for (truly) emergency telephone consultation, dedicated to finding the best solution to your gynecologic needs and providing the highest quality of medical care. Services include: Comprehensive treatment of all gynecologic cancers Prevention and treatment of pre-malignant diseases of the gynecologic tract Complete gynecologic surgical care State of the art oncologic and pelvic surgery State of the art laparoscopic surgery: hysterectomy, radical hysterectomy, staging Genital reconstructive surgery Administration and management of certain chemotherapy Evaluation and treatment of the abnormal pap smear In-office Loop electrocautery excision procedure with fertility preservation Laser surgery of external and intraperitoneal lesions Laparoscopic hysterectomy. Laparoscopic bladder tacking procedure (Burch) Second opinion and consultation regarding cancer Genetic counselling, prophylactic surgery and testing for BrCa 1 and BrCa 2 for women with family histories of breast cancer at ages under 50, bilateral breast cancer, ovary cancer at any age, breast and ovarian cancer in the same person, or multiple cancers on one side of the family Many of my new patients are referred for specialized consultation, because of a known or suspicious lesion, a pre-cancer or a recurrent cancer. Some need major surgery for a benign reason. We will give you all the information available about your problem anticipating that your understanding will make you treatment more successful. About Kate O’Hanlan, MD Dr. O’Hanlan received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science in both Psychology and Zoology (body and mind) at Duke University in 1976. She obtained her medical doctorate from the Medical College of Virginia in 1980. During a categorical residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, she received the Sealy Resident Excellence award, and went on to complete a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Her first faculty appointment was at Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she was Faculty of the Year during her first full year in teaching. After obtaining her specialty boards in gynecology and Obstetrics and her subspecialty boards in Gynecologic Oncology in 1989, her career then took her to Stanford University. There she was three times a Rambar Excellence in Patient Care nominee, and is listed among Best Doctors in the Bay Area, and Best Doctors in America, Best Doctors in the Pacific Region, and has received the Pre-clinical Teaching Award and Gender Equity Award from Stanford University. She practices at Sequoia Hospital, noted for it’s high quality of patient care. Her publication list includes over 30 peer-reviewed articles on ovarian, endometrial, cervical and vulvar cancers and laparoscopic surgery, She teaches laparoscopic Hysterectomy and staging techniques at the Annual Clinical Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and is past Chair of the Stanford Hospital Nutrition Committee. She is a member of Gynecologic Oncology Associates, a consortium of 20 qualified Gynecologic Oncologists in California, providing a network of cancer care. What is Gynecologic Oncology? Gynecologic Oncology is the branch of medicine involved with the screening, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tumors and cancers of the female reproductive system: the ovaries, the uterus lining and muscle wall, the cervix, the vagina and the outside area, the vulva. A Gynecologic Oncologist is a specialized obstetrician/gynecologist who has completed an extra several years of approved intensive training at a major cancer center performing advanced cancer care combining all aspects of gynecologic surgery with radiation and chemotherapy, individualized for each patient. By virtue of the extensive experience in gynecologic, oncologic, urologic, gastrointestinal and reconstructive surgery along with chemotherapy administration and management, the gynecologic oncologist is the physician today who can provide the most comprehensive care for women. Dr. O’Hanlan has developed advanced laparoscopic skills since 1992, to provide the appropriate gynecologic and gynecologic cancer surgery with the smallest incisions, the least discomfort and scarring, the shortest hospital stay and least disability from work for her patients. Appointments Office hours are by appointment. This provides the most convenient and best service for you. Please call or fax well in advance to make appointments, try to be on time. Each time you make an appointment, explain briefly to the receptionist why you are seeing the physician so that she may schedule your appointment appropriately. If you find that you cannot keep your appointment, please call the office at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment to cancel it. This will make it possible for another patient to be seen during that time. If you do have an emergency, call the office and we will rearrange the scheduled appointments so that you can be seen immediately! We try to see you at the appointed time. We believe strongly in the value of your time and we do our best to keep you from having to wait for a long period of time. However, in the specialty of gynecology and especially cancer care, surgical delays and emergency patients may cause unforeseen and unpredictable delays. I beg your indulgence. The receptionist will keep you informed of such delays, and be happy to reschedule your appointment if your other commitments are affected. Laboratory results You will be notified of all abnormal laboratory results, such as blood tests, sonograms, cultures, pap smears performed or ordered by Dr. O’Hanlan or Ms. Pinto. State law mandates that mammograms be resulted to you directly by the mammography center. If you do not hear from us within two weeks regarding your results of completed tests we have ordered or arranged, please contact our office. Telephone calls We welcome and encourage you to call the office if you have a problem, a question, or need to get in touch with Dr. O’Hanlan or Ms. Pinto for any reason. Please make all non-emergency phone calls weekdays, when we can have your records directly available. Our office hours vary with my surgery schedule, but recorded calls are answered within 24 hours and our emergency answering service number is always available. The answering service will page Dr. O’Hanlan for medical emergencies at any time. An emergency call should be just that--true emergency situations. When contacting the office or answering service, state that an emergency exists. Dr. O’Hanlan will be immediately notified, or paged if out of the office, and she will contact you as soon as possible. Because Dr. O’Hanlan’s time is usually scheduled, the receptionist will either schedule an appointment for you or channel your call to Dr. O’Hanlan for response. If the call is for a medication refill, let the receptionist know the medication and dose and your pharmacy’s telephone number. Hospitals Dr. O’Hanlan primarily admits to Sequoia Hospital. This hospital offers the highest quality care that she requires for her patients. She also has practice credentials at other local hospitals to assist other doctors in their surgical care of their patients. If you require hospitalization or surgery, Dr. O’Hanlan will see you daily. She is happy to discuss your condition with your family or friends, but only if you so direct. Please designate one family member for this exchange of information. Insurance and Fees Dr. O’Hanlan accepts MediCal and Medicare assignment. Most insurance contracts are honored; but when Dr. O’Hanlan is not contracted with your insurance plan, she will work with you to either accept the insurance contracted rates or create an equitable working relationship with you. My office staff is always happy to discuss your insurance coverage with you, providing accurate coverage information and recommendations. Fees for services are within the customary range for this area, and reflect the level of care you will receive as well as the extensive training and experience of Dr. O’Hanlan in her field. Fees charged to each person are based on the services provided. You will receive an itemized charge ticket at the end of each visit. We ask that you make your co-pay as required by your HMO or PPO, or pay for your treatment at the time of service. Because we do not keep money in the office, we are unable to make change, so please bring a check or a credit card or the exact amount. Always bring your insurance card with you to each visit, and provide information about changes of insurance or of address or telephone number. Even though Dr. O’Hanlan may make recommendation about your treatment, your insurance company may not be willing to pay for that procedure or treatment appointment. The responsibility for payment of all fees is yours regardless of insurer allowance or disallowance, unless you are a patient enrolled in MediCal, Medicare Part B, or a contracted HMO. If you are in a managed care plan or contracted HMO plan, you will pay the practice only your co-payments and deductibles, if any. Managed care plan and contracted HMO plan patients are responsible for bringing their referral form from their physicians. It is recommended that you discuss fee management for gynecological surgery with the receptionist in order to arrange payment schedules that are convenient and acceptable. If there are unexpected financial problems, please let us know immediately. Registration and Records On your first visit, it is best to arrive about 15 minutes early, since the initial registration procedure takes added time. Basic background information will be requested to initiate your medical record. In addition, extensive family history and personal medical history questions are included in the background questionnaire so that cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis can be prevented altogether or diagnosed early. For your protection, this medical record is strictly confidential. We will release no medical information regarding you or anyone, unless we have your written authorization. Please let Dr. O’Hanlan know which referring doctor sent you so that she may keep them informed of your medical care and progress. Periodic exams There is no substitute for preventive care. Rebecca Pinto performs these periodic exams which includes prevention strategies to reduce risk for all of the gynecologic cancers, breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis, all the major threats to a healthy life. Even if a hysterectomy has been performed, annual Pap smear and pelvic exam with the associated preventive strategies for a healthy life are essential. Patient Education Dr. O’Hanlan provides extensive literature articles for your review in the waiting area, anticipating that you will want to educate yourself about your health to prevent disease and live well. In addition, she has co-authored a book of healthy aging for women called Natural Menopause: The Complete Guide (Addison Wesley, 1996). This book, combined with the specific literature notebooks in the lobby bookshelf (see binders) on breast cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, endometriosis, weight management, sexuality, and hormone therapy provide you the best references of up-to-date, state-of-the-art prevention and therapy. Becoming educated on your own will enable you and Dr. O’Hanlan to fine-tune your health picture in a collaborative fashion that will work for you. Feel free to arrive early or stay late after your appointment to read the many women’s health articles provided. For more information visit the websites: http://www.ohanlan.com and http://www.gynoncology.com A final word Dr. O’Hanlan is dedicated to your care, and to your wholehearted support of your therapy. If you do not completely understand your care plan, ask for clarification of everything you do not fully understand. It is important that you understand what is being done and why. Before every procedure, you should know the alternatives, the risks and benefits prior to giving your consent. Excellence of care depends on a relationship of understanding, confidence and trust between patient and physician. Dr. O’Hanlan truly cares about her patients, but her success can be measured only by your satisfaction. Please provide your comments and suggestions so that we may better satisfy your medical needs. Dr. O’Hanlan is pleased to be able to meet the needs and support the diversity of all woman with a strongly embraced policy of nondiscrimination regarding race, age, religion, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, perceived gender, and socioeconomic status. Return to Home Page