Womens Health Connection Clinic expands

Dr. Debra Ravasia, Spokane gynecologist and founder of the Womens Health Connection Clinic and the Ajuva Medical Spa in North Spokane, says she has opened an additional office in Spokane Valley to accommodate new patients, and soon will add another physician to the practice.

Ravasia specializes in treating women, but will open the practice to male patients in March, when Dr. Brian Sabowitz joins the clinic from his private practice in San Antonio, Texas.

Sabowitz, who is board certified in internal medicine, specializes in bariatric medicine. Ravasia says he will be specializing in obesity management as well as metabolic and endocrinology issues, primarily with male patients, when he joins the practice.

Ravasia will continue to see patients at her North Side practice, which occupies 3,000 square feet at 9425 N. Nevada, and at the adjacent Ajuva spa. The new Valley clinic occupies 8,000 square feet in the River View Corporate Center at 16201 E. Indiana in Spokane Valley. The Ajuva Medical Spa is a separate facility where Ravasia and her staff perform spa treatments, provide a specialized weight loss program, and offer aesthetic medical procedures such as Botox injections, laser skin treatments, and liposuction.

Ravasia opened the North Side clinic in 2005, specializing in gynecology and urogynecology, the practice of gynecology as it relates to the bladder, as well as obesity management. The clinic offers a variety of in-office procedures and treatments for everything from birth control to problems with hormones, she says. Minor surgical procedures are performed at a small surgical center there.

Ravasia says she has seen the clinic grow from five employees to a total of 58 today, including her. In all, the practice employs seven physician assistants and nurse practitioners, 10 medical assistants, six health coaches, three lab technicians, and one mental health professional. The remaining employees are administrators and support staff. Many of the health care providers work at both clinics, she says.

In addition to gynecological issues, Ravasia treats patients with metabolic and endocrine issues at the clinics using nutrition, exercise, medications, and lifestyle changes. She says she prefers a holistic and natural approach, integrated with traditional medicine, to address primary health problems women commonly experience, including metabolic syndrome, menopausal issues, PMS-related problems and fertility issues. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels that occur together, increasing the risk of chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, she says.

Ravasia says she has developed an intense interest in obesity management because she believes obesity underlies many hormonal and medical imbalances, as well as many chronic illnesses.

Weight loss also has a big impact on urogynecological issues like incontinence and leaking, Ravasia says. People think its just part of getting older, and they have to just accept it. But its not and it can be fixed.

Further she believes hormonal problems also can be corrected, when obesity is treated properly. Were to help patients stop taking hypertension medications and antidepressants when people lose weight, she says.

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Womens Health Connection Clinic expands