Women's Health Care Providers

Women at Group Health have many choices for receiving care. In addition to your personal primary care physician or you can self-refer to an obstetrician/gynecologist, midwife, or any of our registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants who have advanced training in women's health care. Your personal physician may also refer you to a specialist. For questions about coverage, contact Customer Service.

You can search for women's health care providers by using our Provider Directory. Simply choose a location and your preferred type of specialist (see below for more information). If you're looking for maternity care, select "Yes" under "Provides maternity services."

If you think you are pregnant, contact your primary care physician's office or the Consulting Nurse Service. They can help you with the next steps.

Making Appointments
You can make an appointment with a women's health care provider by phone or online in the following ways. You do not need a referral for women's health care.

Western Washington
Log in to your MyGroupHealth account and go to Appointments, or call one of these medical centers directly:

Eastern/Central Washington and North Idaho
Contact Customer Service for the names and contact information of women's health care specialists near you.

Provider Choices for Women

Family medicine physicians and their health care teams are your first resource for care. They are specialists in prevention and general health care and they have training and experience in well-adult and well-child care, illness prevention, managing chronic illnesses, basic internal medicine, pediatrics, and gynecology. Many of our family physicians also care for pregnant women and handle delivery of babies. They also coordinate care with specialists in other fields.

Family medicine offers well-woman care such as:

•	Routine pelvic exams and Pap smears
•	Breast examinations
•	Preventive care including nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and cancer screening
•	Contraception
•	Counseling on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
•	Normal pregnancy care and delivery

Obstetricians and gynecologists handle a wide variety of women's health care concerns. While many of the following conditions may be evaluated and treated by your primary care physician, he or she may also refer you to an Ob/Gyn. You also may choose to self-refer.

•	Routine and high-risk pregnancies
•	Uterine fibroids
•	Abnormal bleeding
•	Infertility
•	Pelvic pain
•	Gynecologic cancer
•	Abnormal Pap smears
•	Sexually transmitted diseases
•	Menopause
•	Vaginal and pelvic infections

Midwives provide prenatal care and deliver babies.

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Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) focus on education and health care for women and their families, providing complete maternity care to women experiencing a normal pregnancy. Each has hospital privileges and works in collaboration with the patient's personal physician to assure continuity of care. CNMs are registered nurses accredited in midwifery by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Each meets state licensing requirements and has passed a national examination.

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Licensed midwives care for low-risk women who want to deliver at home. Licensed midwives are certified by the state and have passed both written and oral exams. They receive their training in school and in apprenticeship programs with experienced midwives.

Physician assistants-certified (PA-C) are certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. PAs must pass a test from the National Board of Medical Examiners. PAs take patient histories, perform physical exams, and diagnose and treat common medical problems. They also order and interpret diagnostic tests and write prescriptions.

Advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) have studied in a nursing program and earned a certificate. They may have completed graduate work and received a master's degree. Each ARNP meets state license and national certification requirements for advanced nursing practice. They often work in specialized programs, such as family practice, pediatrics, and women's health care. They perform physical exams plus treat and prescribe medications for common medical problems.