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Women Partners In Health
Rating Details »
Category: Obstetricians and Gynecologists [Edit]
Neighborhood: Bryker Woods1305 W 34th St
Ste 308
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 459-8082
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- By Appointment Only:
- Yes
16 reviews for Women Partners In Health
I switched to this office and Dr. Reich over the summer. My previous ob-gyn doc was a nice guy, but ultimately not thorough enough during a surgery or my recovery.
I had to switch.
I found Dr. Reich through an acupuncturist i was seeing, and friends/word of mouth. I'm "AMA" and Dr. Reich has never raised my age as an issue and has been thorough and supportive during my pregnancy. I like Maria, the nurse, too, who has been helpful and seems pretty smart.
It is clear that Dr. Reich and her staff are very busy, but so are all ob-gyn docs. To her credit, Dr. Reich has answered every question i have (and i usually have a short list i bring to the appts). Also, she wears motorcycle boots.
ps: the woman who draws blood in the office is fantastic
Why would you go see a plumber about your air conditioner? So why would you see a man about your hoho? Now there are many, excellent, and well qualified male OBs in town, but with Women Partners in Health, why would you choose any other office.
This is a group of experienced, insightful and innovative doctors who look at you and your body from a holistic perspective incorporating alternative and proven treatments, therapies and approaches to keep you healthy on all levels.
I found Women Partners in Health when I was new to Austin and needed my annual exam. I did not want a MALE dr, and this one was on my insurance, so I went ahead and made an apporintment with the first available dr.
My first visit there was with Dr. Yium, and I found her very nice. After that, due to scheduling, I was referred to Nancy Loomis, CNM, who works with Dr. Yium. To tell the truth, I havent seen Dr. Yium since. Nancy is great. She can perform all the services that Dr. Yium can, and is usually available. She remembers me, even though she only sees me about twice a year. i get the sense that she really cares about her patients, and takes the time to talk to me about any concerns I have. When I start having children, I'm definitley going the midwife route with Nancy.
I must agree with Kimberly about everything she says about Dr. Reich and Women's Partners In Health. While nothing will ever make the experience of an exam pleasant, at least it's not horrible.
Dr. Reich is amazing and caring. She doesn't ever dismiss your concerns or thoughts. She'll take her time and talk to you at length about whatever you need to talk about. She'll suggest things, and tell you not to bother with other things.
All in all, if you've gotta have a scalpula up your cooter, best that it's Dr. Reich stickin' it in there.
What?
Every experience that I have had at Women Partners in Health has me convinced that they train ALL of their employees VERY well indeed. It makes sense that their parking lot is always full.
The woman at the front desk -Rosa- checked me in and was very thorough and professional. At the end of checking me in she had to go to lunch and there was one final detail that had to be handled so she made sure to introduce me to the next person and handed me off like a track star with the baton pass.
The wait was short. My next encounter was with a woman who introduced herself to me with a smile and a handshake, walked me to the bathroom and asked me to pee in a cup, using more civilised language.
Next I was led to my room and I could not help but notice how she engaged me in a real conversation, looked me in the eyes, and basically made me feel at ease like an old friend would do.
Dr. Reich is an amazing OBGYN and, as her name is on top of the marquee, I think Women Partners in Health is her baby, so to speak. She is professional, thorough, personable, and easy to talk with about any issues. She also wears super cool rectangular brown and red glasses.
I am a big fan of the aqua, pink and gray toe socks that they put on the foot rests so that you do not have to experience the cold metal at a time when you are already wishing you were somewhere else. Toe socks remind me of all that was great about the 70s and the list is not long. I used to have toe socks that were red and had every toe a different color. COOL. Not always comfortable. A girl has to sacrifice somewhere to make a fashion statement.
I have heard glowing reviews from friends who have Drs. Swenson and Weihs also, so if Dr. Reich is not taking new patients, do not be shy about getting yourself into great care.
Finally the woman who took my blood, Jeanne, was patient with me because having a needle popped into a vein is not one of my top 100000000000000 activities. When i was little i ALWAYS fainted...so i've got THAT going for me. Anyway, she took her time and poked once and viola, happy me.
Parking can be tough. If you cannot find a spot in front, under the building, you can always go around back to the fenced-in area and then walk around to the entry.
Respect, Dignity, Care... I have no idea if Women Partners in Health has a mission statement, but if they do, I have no doubt that these are words that guide them daily.
I didn't even REALIZE how crummy my past gynos were until I went here.
I was a new patient here so this was my first visit. By the way if you are a new patient, I highly recommend downloading the new patient forms from the website and filling them out before you get there. Saved a lot of time.
My appointment was with Dr. Nash and she (and her nursing assistant that did the blood pressure and such) where both fantastic.
Normally, it's so uncomfortable so I just get in put on that piece of shit paper gown, stare at the crappy fluorescent lights and whatever eating disorder poster they happen to have on the wall with an occasional nod or noncommittal grunt when they ask questions.
But first of all the gown is cloth, which don't get me wrong it still sucks ass, but somehow it at least felt better. And Dr. Nash came in smiling and normal chit chat, where you from etc. It's somewhat unexplainable but there was just something about her personality that was so easy going.
It wasn't even awkward talking to her as she was prodding around. It was over and done so quick I asked her in shock, can I get dressed now and she was like yeah of course all done :D :D
We talked about any concerns I had and birth control options. She was really upfront about it when I asked about the prevalence of side effects and such. I really appreciated being able to talk candidly about anything that occurred to me. It's so rare to feel at ease in that type of situation.
So yeah five stars. For what you have to go through in this situation, it doesn't get any better.
I used to go here but switched because they got me all freaked out about my aging ovaries. My husband and I had just gotten married and knew all about diverging graph lines of age & fertility, but were just taking a "let's see what happens" laid-back approach to getting pregnant. When the nurse asked what we were using for birth control, I shrugged my shoulders and explained our attitude...to which she replied, "well, you should hurry up, you're not getting any younger."
Dr. Reich came in and wasn't any more reassuring than her nurse. She wasn't awful or anything, but they did harp about the difficulties of conceiving as you get older (I was 37 at the time). Leaving the office, I got all freaked out, imagining that I was stupid to think I could leave it up to nature and it would just all work out.
You can imagine what this kind of stress and pressure does for your fertility!
A friend recommended her OB/GYN (Dr. Robert Cowan) and I made an appt. Despite my decrepit age, he was so laid-back and told me over and over that he wasn't worried about our chances of conceiving at all. It was exactly what I wanted to hear...and he was exactly right. The baby delivered by Dr. Cowan is now a 3-yr old.
I love this office. I've been seeing Dr Yium for about 2 years now but I'm 15 weeks pregnant so I've been seeing a lot more of her lately! Everyone is so happy and friendly at the office. I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for my appointment. I also really like the lab tech who takes my blood, I can't remember her name but she's very nice and gentle and doesn't think it's weird that I like to watch to vile fill up...
I used to see nancy loomis for my yearly exam, she was great, very sweet, and always knew me! When I became pregnant, I started to see dr. Yium who she works with. I loved her! She was alwys smiling and helped me through first time mom nerves. She gave me honest opinions and was completely respectful of all my desires for my delivery! I live south but would drive out to the office every week because I loved her, the receptionists and the fact I was never kept waiting long! I had a good labour. She was amazing! If I ever want more kids she will be the first one I call!!!
Who likes being prodded with a metal instrument in your hooha? I mean, really.
Anyway, if you've got to get prodded, this is definitely the place to go. As a longtime free clinic/Planned Parenthood type gal myself, going to a "real" doctor (yay for insurance!) was pretty neato. There were actually glowing pregnant ladies and tiny babies in the waiting room!
Everybody I encountered there, from receptionists to nurses and doctors, was super friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. The staff who checked me in and out were helpful, funny and quick. The doctor (I saw Dr. Oliver) seemed kind of rushed (I overheard her on the phone trying to figure out something about a delivery...hey, that's cool with me!) but she was really nice, very quick and made the prodding about as quick and painless as it can be!
Overall, the easiest, most pleasant doctor's appointment I've had in a long time.
I must say, when on my first visit to this practice, I was very impressed--the doctor met with me privately in her office before my first exam, because she said it was important to her to get to know her patients, and to make sure they were completely comfortable. I felt very at ease with her, and even though the whole "looking at my lady bits" part is hardly a wonderful experience, she made the first visit as easy as can be. However, the past few experiences going to this office have completely changed my mind about this practice. The office is very busy and there is always a long wait for your appointment time. You barely get to see the doctor at all--though in theory she supposedly wants to get to know you, in practice, she's all metal clamps and cotton swabs, and then a swift goodbye. One time I went, I felt awkward because I had a bunch of questions for her, but she was so rushed and short with me that I almost felt guilty for putting her out, and cut my Q & A session short. Combine that with my latest experience: I arrived 5 minutes early for my appointment, but the line to check in was so long, that by the time I signed my name, I was five minutes late. "No big deal," I thought...until, after sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes, I ask the receptionist what the hold up was, and she makes a quick call to investigate on my behalf. She reports back that the nurse says I wasn't going to be seen after all, because I was late. I was shocked--I'm made to wait 20 minutes, only to be told they don't want to see me? Fortunately, the receptionist spoke up on my behalf, explaining how the long line was the reason for my late check in. The doctor graciously decided to excuse my tardiness and see me after all....AFTER she saw her on-time patients, though, of course. Another 20 minutes later, I see her for all of two minutes, because God-forbid she should take her time with a patient. And so the search for a new gyno begins...
The office was a lot larger than what I was used to which I didn't much care for perse but I guess it was great having a large choice of women doctors all in the same location. I saw Dr. Donnell Oliver who was very cool and tried to make me feel comfy about the whole situation...I guess I was a little partial to her right off the bat due to the fact that she was wearing a striped pair of socks like one of the striped pairs I own (different colour though), and Mary Jane shoes like me. Sure she had to run out of the room for a brief moment due to receiving a call from a patient in labor but who cares...My visit was short, sweet, and to the point! Dr. Donnell Oliver, you are awesome :)
I love, love, love Dr. Yium. I've gotten amazing medical care here - you can tell that she really cares for her patients. Had nothing but good experiences through my first pregnancy and many other appointments. I've been going here since 2004 and plan to stay for a very long time.
I had been seeing Dr.Yium for a few years. I went to a "Meet the Doctor" type talk where all the doctors in the practice got up and talked about what they did, what they believed and how they handled things during birth, pain meds, etc. I chose Dr. Yium because I liked her views. Okay, here is where I stop to tell you...of course they are going to make a good impression when they are on stage in front of a ton of pregnant women whose insurance companies are making them rich. To sum up my experiences: there are way too many patients for each person to be treated like an individual. The office manager will always be on the doctor's side, the client is not trusted with knowledge about their own boday because doctors are smarter and so they call all the shots. Can you sense my sarcasm? The wait is very long, you have to handle your own insurance, no one ever knows what is going on and if they do, they're not going to tell you. I cannot believe I confided in this doctor. I want everyone to know because I truly believe they are smart and very very rich but, I would not trust them with my daughter, sister, friend, mother, or even enemy. Do yourself a favor and ask around. Go to a doctor that someone has had good experiences with because the more you ask about this place, the worse it gets. Believe me. I find out now what I should have known a long time ago. You do not ever, ever have to feel like you are at the mercy of a doctor just because they have a PhD.
I agree with Robin. In fact, I had a similar experience here. I went to Women Partners in Health because I wanted a woman doctor thinking she could relate and might be more understanding. Instead I was made to feel like an old maid! I was only 34 and pregnant and Martha Schmitz lectured me over and over about the dangers of being too "old" and pregnant. She insisted that I get an amnio and I told her I didn't want to risk it and would keep the baby anyway so why get an amnio? She said I was lucky I "squeaked by" the ripe old age of 35 where she would MAKE me get one. Can you believe that? And five years later I got pregnant again. Like Robin, I went across the street to Dr. Cowan. He never made me feel old at 40 and was so encouraging and positive! My second baby is just as healthy as my first and the pregnancy experience with a better doctor was so much better!
I found out I was pregnant and my husband looked up ob's on the BCBS site just so we could go somewhere ASAP. I fully planned on changing as soon as I had my wits about me - I am not a big fan of big practices, office buildings with large waiting rooms, feeling like a number, etc. That was my first impression just based on the waiting area. I am writing this review because my experience was completely different than my first impressions. ALL the staff I encountered there (not just my AWESOME dr, Dr. Nash) were so nice, knew my name, chatted with me - when I go in for check-ups now, a year after the baby - even the front desk woman still chats with me about everything - how can she remember! She must see so many people a day. Well, I really, really liked it there and I was prepared not to. I am planning to go back again. They were thorough and kind and Dr. Nash and her nurse Rachel were awesome. They are a great juxtaposition of a woman-centered practice with the "reassurance" of modern technology and medicine. Even though I had planned on some version of a home-birth/birthing center, I think I will do it with them again in the hospital. In any event, if you are at all considering a hospital birth - go WPIH!
