Jill Dreesman, RN, left, a Tallwood Men’s Health nurse navigator working in Waterford, reviews a health evaluation form filled out by every patient with Kim Gardner, PSC, right.
The statistics say it all: Men are 1.4 times as likely as women to die from almost every chronic medical condition, and on average live five years less than women; according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Hartford HealthCare Tallwood Men’s Health is designed to change that by giving men access to a coordinated system of specialists and primary care providers to get them on the road to better health. In May, the program began seeing patients at locations throughout eastern Connecticut.
At the center of the program is a men’s health nurse navigator who helps connect patients with needed providers and creates a personalized care plan based on their individual needs. For those men who don’t have a primary care provider, the nurse navigator will connect them to one in their community. Along with urology, the team of specialists includes providers from cardiology, colorectal health, endocrinology, sleep disorders, surgical weight loss, geriatrics and behavioral health with offices throughout the Backus and Windham hospital service areas.
“Men generally don’t see doctors unless there’s a problem,” said Jill Dreesman, Tallwood Men’s Health Nurse Navigator. “To ensure they are up-to-date on their preventive screenings, on their first visit to Men’s Health we have them fill out a Men’s Health checklist.”
The age-appropriate checklist includes screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, colorectal health and PSA screening for prostate cancer. Dreesman says weight management and behavioral health are also discussed because many times they are directly related to other health concerns.
The East Region program is anchored by Tallwood offices in Norwich, Waterford and Plainfield.
“The first time a man enters a Men’s Health practice, regardless of the reason, it becomes an opportunity to address preventative healthcare,” said Dr. Anthony Quinn, who sees patients in the Waterford office. “We’re flipping the script. Rather than focusing on specific health complaints, we’re addressing preventative and linked medical conditions to treat this group of underserved health care consumers.”
To learn more about Talllwood Men’s Health or connect with a provider visit Hartford HealthCare.org/men or call 860.678.5700.
East Region Tallwood Men’s Health Providers
Urology
David Crawley, MD
Franklin Friedman, MD
Brian McLeod, MD
Anthony Quinn, MD
Steven Schoenberger, MD
Brandon Stahl,MD
Jonathan Telsey, MD
Sandra Glenney, APRN
Erin Loughery, APRN
Rebecca Russo, APRN
Behavioral Health
Alexander Miano, MD
Allison Glickman, LCSW
Tanya Russo, LCSW
Cardiology
Jeffrey Kegel, MD
Stephen Kutz, MD
Colorectal Health
Sergio Casillas-Romero, MD
Claudette Faucher-Charles, APRN
Endocrinology
Karina Szczepanczyk, MD
Yuhong Gong, MD
Liz Sibicky, APRN
Mary Drewa-Tower, APRN
Geriatrics
Mohammad Qureshi, MD
Mamta Singh, MD
Surgical Weight Loss
Ricardo Young, MD
Sleep Disorders
Robert Bundy, MD
Olimpia Radu, MD