Founded in 1991 by Dr. Edward Phillips, South Miami Women’s Health prides itself on its close-knit team of doctors, nurses and staff who come together as one in their commitment to personalized patient care. The team provides full service obstetrical and gynecological treatment. The Mona Lisa Touch and minimally invasive da Vinci robotic surgery are recent additions to services offered by the group.
“As a smaller practice I think we can offer a more personalized experience to our patients,” says Dr. Phillips. Though he and Dr. Joyce Miller no longer see obstetrical patients, Drs. Luis Roca and Joseph Venditto continue the practice’s long-standing history of dedicated obstetric care. “Throughout a patient’s’ prenatal care, they have the opportunity to meet with both myself and Dr. Venditto. We take pride in our personal, family approach to care during the pregnancy and at the time of delivery,” says Roca. “This allows us to get to know our patients and their families on a personal, as well as professional level,” says Venditto, who also performs robotic and laparoscopic surgeries. “We take great pride in taking care of women, and their families, through the journey of pregnancy.”
Treating patients from adolescence through menopause, Miller is exposed to a wide array of gynecological issues. She performs in-office procedures such as colposcopies, both diagnostic and operative hysteroscopies and outpatient procedures including laparoscopies. “We provide comprehensive female health care with the attention and compassion our patients deserve. As a woman, I feel a connection with my patients,” she says, “I call my office my sanctuary…my comfort zone. I love what I do.”
The doctor’s love of their chosen profession can have more than just a welcoming effect on their patients, it can inspire them as well. Nurse practitioner, Katie Fitzgerald, who worked at Sylvester Cancer center in Gynecologic Oncology as a nurse practitioner for six years, was a patient of the practice before coming on board 11 years ago. Today, she focuses her daily work on adolescents and young women. She works with patients on prevention options, counseling, administering vaccinations and performing well-woman exams. “With new advancements in gynecologic medicine every day, it’s hard to narrow down a particular area that sparks my interest,” she says. “Women’s health, as a whole, is advancing daily and I’m so excited to be a part of it.”
A recent addition to the team is Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Cely Loffredo, another group patient turned employee. Loffredo, a Miami native and graduate of the University of Miami Master’s program, worked with Drs. Roca and Venditto as a labor and delivery nurse at South Miami Hospital and was immediately drawn to their work ethic, patient relationships and philosophy on patient care. “I’ve always had a desire to advocate for the women’s health population,” says Loffredo, who joined the team in October and focuses mostly on the practice’s obstetrics patients. “Every pregnancy and every health issue is different. Every patient is different. It’s not just about the diagnosis but also about the emotional needs of the patient. It’s something I have always connected with.”
Every day, the team brings their passion for women’s health to their relationships with each other and with their patients. They believe in staying true to the practice’s belief that true care means individual care. “I have a strong belief in involving patients in their own healthcare,” says Dr. Venditto. “A patient’s autonomy, in conjunction with a physician’s recommendations, will ultimately result in improved outcomes.”
Dr. Phillips sums up the sense of dedication and personal fulfillment expressed by the physicians and staff of Miami Women’s Health, “I feel so lucky to continue to see the same faces over and over, and sometimes even the faces of the next generation of the same families.”
South Miami Women’s Health is located at 7000 SW 62nd Ave, Suite 350, South Miami, FL 33143. You can reach the office at 305-665-9644. For more information please visit SouthMiamiWomensHealth.com