With an eye to the future, Women’s Healthcare of Illinois hosted a free educational event at the Tinley Park Convention Center.
More than 100 people attending the event Saturday were instructed by four medical professionals on women’s health, ranging from bladder issues and office-based procedures to healthy pregnancies, genetics and ultrasounds.
Each of the four doctors, led by Dr. Kenneth Finkelstein, encouraged questions from the audience after the presentations.
“I learned quite a bit about health issues and women’s issues,” said Diane Gier, of Tinley Park. “It has been very interesting.”
Finkelstein, founder and CEO of Women’s Healthcare of Illinois, is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who specializes in urogynecology and pelvic prolapse. His vision for the near future includes expansion from his Evergreen Park facility into the southwest suburbs when groundbreaking is scheduled on a Mokena facility this spring.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to begin work on the new facility in March. I think there are a lot of things that we talked about today, that many women in the Southwest suburbs haven’t had the benefit of in this area, in terms of new technology. That’s what we’re bringing here,” he said.
Tinley Park resident Doreen Kotwas and her friend, Florence Wolf, of Palos Heights, found the seminar both informative and interesting.
“My friend of 50 years suggested we come,” Kotwas said. “As you get older, you want to get to know as much as you can about your body.”
Wolf shared that she had a personal interest in the seminar.
“I do have a health problem and am very interested in the latest procedures. I’m very impressed today.”
Roseanna Smeraldo-Ali and husband, Zafar, had personal reasons for attending the seminar. Expecting a child in May, Smeraldo-Ali volunteered to have a four-dimensional ultrasound as a demonstration for the audience.
“My doctor at Women’s Healthcare, Dr. Butler, asked me to volunteer,” Smeraldo-Ali said. “And I agreed. I just want to see my baby.”
The demonstration, which drew “oohs” and “aahs” from the audience as images appeared, was monitored by Dr. Steven Ambrose, maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
“We are the only private group in our area with its own maternal-fetal medicine specialist and ultrasound facilities,” Finkelstein said.
Several pharmaceutical vendors, a healthy lunch and an opportunity to speak to the doctors rounded out the three-hour event.
“Our purpose here today was to introduce the different kinds of women’s issues that Women’s Healthcare of Illinois can help with,” said Iris Shaffer, public relations specialist. “Obviously, it has been of interest to the women out here because we have had an excellent turnout.”