Midlevel Providers

Our experienced midlevel team includes nurse practitioner Lew-ann Parham, RNC, WHNP, midwife Sara Gorham, CNM, ultrasonographer Jean Hildebrandt, RDMS, and mammographer, Carol Smith, RTRM.

Lew-Ann Parham, RNC, WHNP

If you desire a highly qualified professional to address your health care needs, then you will want to see our nurse practitioner, Lew-ann Parham, RNC, WHNP. Lew-ann has provided quality, compassionate care to the patients of Douglas Women’s Center, PC for more than10 years.

As a nurse practitioner, Lew-ann is qualified to provide you with many services including physical exams and Pap smears, health and wellness counseling, contraceptive care, sexually transmitted disease screening, infertility, pre-conceptual counseling, perimenopausal and menopausal education and management. Although Lew-ann does not provide obstetrical care, she can assist her patients who become pregnant by helping them select another primary provider from our practice during pregnancy. Because she cares for gynecological patients only, Lew-ann does not participate in the call rotation, allowing greater flexibility when scheduling your appointment.

Lew-ann’s core philosophy in the field of women’s health is to provide individualized care. She will take time to answer your questions and address your concerns.

What defines Lew-ann as a premier professional in women’s health? Lew-ann holds dual certification in Women’s Health/Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility.

She has a diverse interest in Women’s health including infertility, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), menopause and adolescent health.

Lew-ann is proud to be a member of NCCC (National Cervical Cancer Coalition), advocating cervical health in all women by promoting prevention through education.

Sara Gorham, CNM

Sara Gorham, born in Elyria, Ohio, is a licensed, certified nurse-midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner. As a nurse-midwife, she emphasizes the importance of preparing women and families for childbirth through education and comprehensive prenatal care. Nurse-midwives believe that birth is a normal, but also a powerful — and ultimately empowering — human event. Sara’s goal is to make sure women and their families are not just supported but also involved in making important decisions regarding their care — from their first prenatal visit to postpartum checkups.

Sara received a bachelor’s degree in biology and women’s studies at the University of Vermont. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing (specializing in nurse-midwifery and women’s health) at the University of Pennsylvania.

In addition to caring for pregnant women, Sara also provides comprehensive and compassionate gynecologic care to women of all ages. Her services include well women care, basic infertility consultation, family planning and birth control management, pre-pregnancy counseling, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as management of menstrual irregularities and menopause. In this capacity, Sara seeks to provide professional, accurate information about disease prevention and health promotion. Her primary goal is to teach and encourage women how to lead healthier and happier lives.

Although Sara enjoys working with women of all ages, she specializes in the care of teenagers and young women. She believes that teaching how to nurture and protect the human body at a young age promotes good health for a lifetime.

Our Ultrasonographer: Jean Hildebrandt, RDMS

Jean Hildebrandt joined Douglas Women’s Center, PC in 1997 as a registered diagnostic medical sonographer. Jean has an associate degree and, although she has been with Douglas Women’s Center, PC for many years, she has been working in the field for more than 35 years. Jean enjoys working with obstetrical and gynecological patients of all ages.

Our Mammographer: Carol Smith, RTRM

Carol Smith joined the Douglas Women’s Center team in October of 2006. Carol has 30 years of experience in mammography and shows true compassion and professionalism for her patients.

What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife?

Certified nurse-midwives have a master’s degree in nursing and are trained to manage low-risk pregnancy and childbirth. They care for laboring patients in a hospital setting and consult with physicians on a regular basis. Nurse-midwives are trained in high-risk pregnancies and co-manage these patients with physicians. Nurse-midwives caring for women in labor always have a back-up physician available to assist as needed. In the state of Georgia, nurse-midwives do not assist in homebirths.

Douglas Women’s Center, PC patients deliver at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in Austell, Ga. Sara Gorham, CNM, is the only midwife in the practice, and therefore patients are not guaranteed a midwife-attended delivery.

What is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner?

Women’s health nurse practitioners have a master’s degree in nursing and are trained in the gynecologic care of women of all ages. They manage patients independently and collaborate with physicians as needed. A registered nurse who has completed advanced education and training in the diagnosing and management of common medical conditions, nurse practitioners provide a broad range of health care services. They provide some of the same care provided by physicians and maintain close working relationships with the medical doctors within the practice. A nurse practitioner can also serve as your regular health care provider.

What is an Ultrasonographer?

Sonography is the field of imaging that uses sound waves to create images of the fetal and pelvic anatomy. The most fun part of ultrasounds is providing the fetal ultrasounds where the sonographer can show the parents the first images of their baby. It gives the parents that initial bond to the child that they will one day hold. This is also where 4-D imaging got its start, so that parents could see the baby’s face. But, this is not all that sonography is useful for. Sonography can also find fetal anomalies, tell how many babies there are, check for uterine fibroids and uterine problems, and check and diagnose ovarian problems including polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is one of the leading fertility issues. Sonography also monitors the ovaries during fertility treatments.

What is a Mammographer?

A mammographer is a registered radiologic technologist who is trained in general X-rays and specializes in X-ray exams of the breast.