YNHCH’s Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Program team members include (l-r): Anne Smith, MD; Lisa Sagnella, APRN; Alla Vash-Margita, MD; Chaarushi Ahuja, MD, resident; and Kathleen Miclette, RN.
In September, the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (PAG) Program at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital is scheduled to launch a program focused on pelvic pain, expanding the services that have made the PAG Program a destination for patients in the state, region and beyond.
PAG specialists already treat pelvic pain, drawing patients from throughout New England and as far away as Georgia. With the new program, more patients will be able to access care from a multidisciplinary team of experts in gynecology, pain disorders, gastroenterology, urology, psychology and other specialties.
A variety of gynecologic conditions can cause pelvic pain, including endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and menstrual issues. Non-gynecologic causes can include irritable bowel syndrome, bladder spasms, musculoskeletal pain and functional abdominal pain (frequent or chronic pain).
“Pelvic pain is common in young girls, but sometimes it can be challenging to pinpoint the exact cause and most appropriate treatments,” said Alla Vash-Margita, MD, chief, Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. “Many times, these patients have been dealing with the pain for a long time.”
The Pelvic Pain Program team includes Leonel Rodriguez, MD, section chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Margaret Stoeckel, PhD, director of Pediatric GI Psychology, who have experience treating patients with abdominal pain. They are joining the PAG specialists to expand evaluation and treatment for a patient population that has been historically underserved or misdiagnosed.
The Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology Program at YNHCH began in 2017. It is the only program of its kind in Connecticut; and Dr. Vash-Margita and her associate, Anne Smith, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, are the only fellowship-trained pediatric gynecology providers in the state. The PAG Program team also includes Lisa Sagnella, APRN, nurse practitioner, and Kathleen Miclette, RN, nurse coordinator.
The program provides medical and surgical treatments to patients ages birth through 24 for a wide variety of routine and complex conditions related to the menstrual cycle, congenital anomalies, hormone problems and other issues. The PAG team works closely with experts in other specialties, including adolescent medicine, general pediatrics, pediatric urology, pediatric surgery, pediatric gastroenterology, psychology/psychiatry, nutrition and social work.
Other specialty programs within PAG are the Adolescent Gynecology and Endocrinology Program, which provides comprehensive gynecologic and endocrine care to adolescent girls; and the Differences in Sexual Development Program, which treats medical conditions that cause atypical development of sex chromosomes, gonads or sexual anatomy.
“Our team’s specialty training and experience in pediatric and adolescent gynecology allow us to meet our patients’ unique needs,” Dr. Smith said. “With the growth of the Pediatric Adolescent Gynecology Program and collaboration with other specialists, we are expanding the scope of care we provide and making it easier for more patients to access this comprehensive, specialty care close to home.”
Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Program services are offered at YNHCH Pediatric Specialty Centers in: Greenwich, at 500 West Putnam Ave.; New Haven, at 1 Long Wharf Drive and at YNHCH, 1 Park St.; Norwalk, at 747 Belden Ave.; Old Saybrook, at 633 Middlesex Turnpike; and Trumbull, at 5520 Park Ave. To schedule an appointment at any location, call 877-925-3637 (877-YALE-MDS).
