Insurance and Fee for service

Welcome to Women's Health of the High Country! We're excited to have you as a patient and look forward to providing you with exceptional care. 

At Women's Health of the High Country, our mission is to provide compassionate and comprehensive medical care to all of our patients. We treat each patient with respect and dignity, and strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

We offer a wide range of medical services, from routine checkups to advanced diagnostics and  treatments.  We will work together to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care. 

 The cervix is located in the lower part of the uterus at the top of your vagina. A pap smear is a screening test for the detection of pre-cancerous changes or cervical cancer. The majority of these changes are caused by the HPV virus. The identification of these changes can allow for increased surveillance or intervention when indicated and to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer in the future.

There is not really any preparation that is required for a Pap smear. There are a few precautions and things to avoid a few days before your Pap test.

• Sexual intercourse
• Powders, sprays, or other menstrual products
• Vaginal suppositories, creams, medicines
• Feminine hygiene products, douches and tampons

 What to expect

Normally you will get your Pap test results back within a few days. A common result for most Pap tests is “normal.” This generally means that there are no abnormal cervical cells. Typically, testing for the  HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is done at the same time as the pap smear.  

If you do not get a normal Pap test result, this does not mean that you have cervical cancer. Depending on the results,  additional testing or a repeat pap smear will be recommended.

• Abnormal Pap result from inflammation
• Abnormal Pap result from HPV
• Abnormal Pap result from infection

Colposcopy allows us to view the opening to the uterus, called the cervix, utilizing an instrument with a magnifying lens and a light.  The tissues on the cervix and vaginal walls can then be seen more clearly. In some cases,  a small sample of tissue will be taken for exam in the lab. This is called a cervical biopsy.  This can help to confirm the severity of the abnormality.

In most cases, the abnormal cervical cells will resolve on their own. Increased frequency of pap smear testing is usually  recommended. 

In certain circumstances, when a higher grade abnormality is detected, a very minor surgical procedure may be recommended to help remove the abnormal cells. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports access to comprehensive contraceptive care as an integral component of women’s health care. ACOG is committed to encouraging and upholding policies and actions that ensure the availability of affordable and accessible contraceptive care. 

Oral contraceptives are hormone-containing medications that are taken by mouth daily to prevent pregnancy. They prevent pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation and also by preventing sperm from penetrating through the cervix.

By far the most commonly prescribed type of oral contraceptive in the United States contains synthetic versions of the natural female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This type of birth control pill is often called a combined oral contraceptive. Another type of oral contraceptive, sometimes called the mini pill, contains only progesterone. 

NuvaRing is a small, flexible vaginal ring used to prevent pregnancy. It secretes hormones that are very similar to those found in the birth control pill, and it works essentially the same way. It is easily placed inside the vagina for 3 weeks. After that, it is removed and left out for a week, at which point a new ring is inserted.  When used as directed, It is just as effective as the pill. 

 An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped device made of plastic that’s placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy.

IUD’s provide long lasting, reliable protection against pregnancy, and they are reversible. There are two Types of IUD: hormonal and non-hormonal.

Hormonal  

Hormonal IUDs contain progestin, which is similar to progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone in the body. The hormone works to prevent pregnancy in a few ways. It thickens cervical mucus to block sperm from entering the uterus and inhibits sperm movement to make it harder to reach and fertilize an egg. It also thins the uterine lining, so an egg is less likely to attach to the uterus.

Non Hormonal

The non-hormonal IUD (Paraguard) is wrapped in a copper coil. The copper ions released into the uterus create an environment that is inhospitable to sperm. Basically, the copper leaves sperm powerless, so it can’t fertilize an egg and lead to a pregnancy. 

 NEXPLANON is a birth control implant that’s placed under the skin of the inner,  upper arm.  Once in place, NEXPLANON releases a continuous low dose of the    hormone progesterone, which can prevent ovulation and help prevent pregnancy.   

Hormonal imbalances may occur when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Because of their essential role in the body, even the smallest hormonal imbalance can cause side effects throughout the body.*

There are a variety of symptoms of hormone imbalance in women and may include:

• Fatigue*
• Night sweats*
• Hot flashes or flushes*
• Decreased sex drive*
• Weight gain*
• Trouble sleeping*
• Irritability*
• Anxiousness*
• Mood swings*
• Low mood*
• Discomfort during intercourse*

 The primary goal of Biote is to help balance hormones through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy using pellets. Hormone balance is crucial to leading a healthier and more fulfilling life. That’s why the mission of Biote is to help people live better, longer.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may offer relief for many common and debilitating symptoms that medical providers often overlook. 

 Bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy is a personalized approach to hormone replacement. It allows a patient’s body to absorb the right level of hormones at the right time using a delivery method the body can process efficiently.

Pellets are small capsules (about the size of a grain of rice) that contain bioidentical hormones like testosterone or estrogen. A bioidentical hormone is the exact molecular structure of hormones the body produces naturally.

They are inserted under the skin, where hormones enter the bloodstream as they dissolve over several months. Our studies show that patients may see the effects of hormone optimization up to four weeks after a pellet insertion. Everyone is unique and some people may feel the effects immediately, while others may take up to two or more pellet insertions before they feel full effects.

Hormones delivered by pellet therapy bypass the liver, do not affect clotting factors, do not increase the risk of thrombosis, and avoid the fluctuations of hormone levels some patients may experience.* Biote bioidentical hormone pellets are made from soy or the yam plant to create estradiol and/or testosterone molecules, unlike synthetic hormones, which are made from animal parts or urine and have a different molecular structure than what the body produces.

 Biote is a company dedicated to clinical research for hormone optimization. Learn more about our most recent research projects below.

• Published:   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20420188211015238
• 9-year retrospective review
• To demonstrate testosterone is breast protective, particularly when delivered by subcutaneous pellet therapy, T and/or Testosterone/ Estradiol delivered subcutaneously as a pellet implant significantly reduced the incidence of breast cancer in pre-and – post-menopausal women.*

• Published:  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20420188211015238
• Review of 7 years of data (2012-2019)
• To identify adverse events for males and females who underwent subcutaneous pellet therapy. The overall complication rate was < 1%.

Semaglutide is a powerful, safe and effective weight loss medication that will boost the effects of any weight loss program.  

Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone, released in the gut in response to eating.

One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood sugar (glucose). For that reason, health care providers have used semaglutide for more than 15 years to treat Type 2 diabetes.

But GLP-1 in higher amounts also interacts with the parts of the brain that suppress your appetite and signal you to feel full. When used in conjunction with diet and exercise, it can cause significant weight loss — and a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease — in people who are obese or overweight

Since semaglutide is very hard to get and rarely covered by insurance, we are bypassing this system and utilizing a compounding pharmacy. Your monthly medication will be sent to our office. You will come in once a month for a weight assessment and check in. We will then supply you with your 4 weekly doses. 

$450 per month. This will include your visit to the office, supplies and medication for the month.