LaparoscopicHysterectomy near Statesville, NC

Biography: As far back as I can remember, I would tell anyone who asked that I was going to be a physician when I grew up. Caring for people has always felt like a calling. \n During my medical school rotations, I found my passion in women's health. Every day, I feel honored to care for women of all ages and at all stages of their lives. \n My philosophy on patient care is to treat people the way I want my doctor to treat me or any member of my family. I strive to practice evidence-based medicine while partnering with patients to achieve their health goals. \n In addition to my practice, I'm a clinical assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine's Charlotte Campus. I also serve as clerkship director of the application phase for students in the OB-GYN rotation. \n I've been honored to receive several recent awards. My peers voted me one of Charlotte's top doctors in 2023 and 2024 in Charlotte Magazine. And in 2022, I was nominated for the Novant Health Distinguished Physician Award. \n I am a working mom who strives to be active in my community. At my church - St. John's Baptist Church - I volunteer as a Sunday School teacher and with the children's ministry. I also volunteer as competition director for the Charlotte Swim and Racquet swim team. When not working, I'm probably driving my two children to swim or basketball practice, working the computers at a swim meet or reading.

Biography: Thomas Valaoras, MD, founded Novant Health Valaoras and Lewis OB/GYN in 1998 with the goal of building a smaller, patient-centered practice where providers could get to know patients very well. Dr. Valaoras and his team are centered on delivering individual care for each patients' medical needs. Dr. Valaoras enjoys being a part of women's lives and having a positive impact in them. He likes the variety of his specialty from surgery to delivering babies. Dr. Valaoras makes the most of his time away from the office with his wife and their son and daughter. Together, they love to fish, camp, travel and play sports. While his background is Greek, Dr. Valaoras is also fluent in Spanish.

Biography: A.J. Lewis, MD, believes in providing cutting-edge care for women with a personal touch that comes from a smaller practice. Dr. Lewis has time to get to know his patients in part because of unique, longer scheduling at their office. Dr. Lewis offers everything from prenatal care to help with gynecologic problems. From a surgical standpoint he is excited the way technology has made it possible to perform major procedures with minimally invasive methods. A Winston-Salem native, Dr. Lewis is happy to be serving the community he considers home. He and his wife, Diane, agree it's a great place to raise their two sons. He coaches baseball, serves on the board of the Winston-Salem Nationals Little League and is an avid Wake Forest sports fan.

Biography: My father was a physician and my mother was a nurse, so, growing up as a kid, I always imagined that I too, would find a career in medicine. Ultimately, I chose to become a gynecologic oncologist because I was attracted to the complexity of the medicine that was mixed with advanced surgical care for women diagnosed with cancers of the reproductive tract. \n More importantly, though, I chose to become a gynecologic oncologist because of the women battling these cancers, and the unique relationship that I would be able to develop with them and their families during their cancer journey. In caring for women diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, I believe it is important to engage them in the discussion of how best to direct their care. In doing so, my goal is to provide them with all available treatment options and access to state of the art surgical and oncologic care. \n In this unique role as a GYN oncologist, I am able to work closely with the patient and her family as she battles her cancer. In doing so, I have the opportunity to guide patients and their families through the ups and downs this battle, a privilege which I believe is critical to both positive outcomes for them as well as personal fulfillment for me. \n Women diagnosed with cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva and other reproductive organs want to know whether - and how - their lives might change during and after treatment. Some want to know if cancer will affect their fertility. Others want to know how treatments will affect their sex life or ability to participate in favorite activities. My goal is to guide them toward making decisions that work best for them given their type of gynecologic cancer and their personal priorities. \n To fulfill this goal, I work with a team of fellow oncologists specializing in surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapies to keep up with the latest advances in the fight against gynecologic cancers. I also work with physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists and social workers, who specialize in helping women with gynecologic cancers. \n I am a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, which promotes excellence in the care of women who are either at risk for or affected by such cancers through advocacy, education, research and collaboration. To support those efforts, I founded Athenas Run for Gyn Cancers in 2010. In its first decade, the event raised $500,000 for research, education, and outreach efforts in the Piedmont Triad Region. Weve helped pay for a cancer survivors symposium, an outreach program for minority women and a lecture series. \n I am also extremely interested in trying to decrease the disparities in medical care that exist in developing countries. I have had the opportunity to provide surgical/medical care and training on women's health issues to providers in Tanzania and the Dominican Republican. A native of Asheville, NC, in my spare time, I like to run, hike, and together, with my husband Jeffrey, watch our three kids pursue their passions, which often times means lots of soccer games and gymnastic meets!

Biography: Charlotte Wilkes, CNM is a Midwife who practices in Winston Salem, NC. Charlotte Wilkes, CNM is affiliated with Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center.

Biography: Dr. Anthony Dorbu, MD is an Obstetrics /amp Gynecology Specialist who practices in Winston Salem, NC. He is 70 years old and has been practicing for 42 years. Dr. Anthony Dorbu, MD is affiliated with Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center.

Biography: Dr. Rina Roginsky, MD is an Obstetrics /amp Gynecology Specialist who practices in Charlotte, NC. She is 48 years old and has been practicing for 23 years. Dr. Rina Roginsky, MD is affiliated with Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.

Biography: Becoming a physician has been a very natural path for me. As a child, I preferred to admit all of my stuffed animals into my personal hospital with various ailments. My parents would come by to observe and correct their wristbands from "Numonya" to "Pneumonia" and "A Pendasidus" to "Appendicitis." \n I'd have done anything to get to be a hospital patient. I put paper clips on my teeth to mimic braces and tried to make an arm cast out of papier mache in middle-school art class. I desperately wanted appendicitis because I had heard somewhere that post operatively you got all the ice cream you could eat for weeks. Plus, I'd get to see the Operating Room... and so my fascination with medicine began. \n Both my parents were postdoctoral fellows in chemistry, so biochemistry seemed a natural choice for my undergraduate studies. Afterward, I began medical school in my hometown of Cincinnati. That's when I fell in love with the practice of caring for women. \n I completed my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Living in Nashville introduced me to country music and to my amazing spouse, Lewis, who was a fellow resident in internal medicine. I joke that our meeting was a very dialed down version of the popular series, Grey's Anatomy. \n After marrying in Alabama, we moved to Washington, D.C., where I taught medical students and residents at The George Washington University Medical Center. We had our first child there before moving back to the South to raise our family, which includes a son and two daughters. \n Having practiced as an OB/GYN for over 20 years, I've learned a great deal about providing personalized care. I think it starts with being an excellent listener. Women have tremendous knowledge and intuition about our bodies. That is a key concept I incorporate into my practice and instill in young professionals preparing for a career in medicine. \n Over the years, I've been a teacher and mentor and have enjoyed volunteering in the indigent care setting as well as practicing medicine. The field of medicine is always advancing. I continue to challenge myself to learn and grow with the latest practice advisories and new surgical techniques. It is an honor and a privilege to work in healthcare and a blessing to take care of others.