Village Behind the Visit: Spotlighting the Team Behind Your Care

As the saying goes: “it takes a village.” At Covington Women’s Health Specialists, there’s a whole village of amazing people who work behind the scenes to support our patients and each visit to our practice.

Our newest nurse practitioner Rachel Manciagli learned that first-hand in her first ever OB-GYN position here at our practice. Since starting with us, Rachel has learned a lot about how a gynecology office operates:

“As I began meeting all the wonderful ladies who work at Covington Women’s Health Specialists, I started to think about how many people are needed to make sure each patient visit is successful. Although you may associate the office with the provider you see when you visit, many people contribute to your medical care.”

In celebration of our wonderful staff, Rachel is here to introduce all of the many amazing people who help make each and every visit to Covington Women’s Health Specialists possible!

As you step into our practice for your appointment, you’ll be warmly greeted by our Medical Secretaries Sharon, Amanda, Marli, Cecilia, Tawona, Taylor and Stacy, all eagerly anticipating your visit. They will let the staff know when you arrive and help you schedule your next appointment when you leave.

The Medical Records department of Covington Women's Health

While you’re checking in, you might just get a glimpse of our Medical Records employee, Gracie! She helps us document clinical information on our new patients and keep patient charts updated. This allows your providers to have all the information needed to provide exceptional care. Though she often works behind the scenes, Gracie is important to your visit, and she’s always happy to help and welcome new patients! 

Medical assistants of Covington Women's Health

Next, you’ll head on to meet with one of our wonderful Medical Assistants. They’ll collect your vital signs, document information about your visit, and give a hand to the providers when needed. Our medical assistants work closely with our doctors, nurse practitioners, and midwives to help start your visit off smoothly!

Nurse practitioners of Covington Women's Health
Nurse practitioners of Covington Women's Health

Once you’ve seen a medical assistant for your initial check, you’re going to head back for your appointment. Here, you’ll likely meet with one of our wonderful Nurse Practitioners: Kerry G. Dewberry, LaPrecious Sanders, or Rachel Manciagli! Our nurse practitioners spend their time in the office seeing routine prenatal patients, giving GYN annual exams, and performing minor in-office procedures.

Midwives of Covington Women's Health

Depending on your reason for visiting, you may also get a chance to see one of our wonderful midwives when you head back. Our midwives Brenda Barlowe, Tamsin Lewis, Kristina Carmain, Jennifer Walker, Rosalie Plofchan, and Katey Burroughs primarily work in the hospital both delivering babies and seeing postpartum patients. They also work in the office providing prenatal care, and occasionally see GYN patients for their annual exams or routine visits. 

Once you’ve seen a nurse or midwife, you get to meet with one of our incredible physicians: Dr. Cathy T. Larrimore, Dr. Sherley C. Samuels, Dr. Meridith Farrow, and Dr. Meredith Delp. Our doctors provide both obstetrical care to our pregnant patients and gynecological care throughout a patient’s lifetime. They see patients for wellness visits, offer prenatal care, and perform minor procedures in the office, as well as deliver babies and perform surgeries in the hospital.

Medical scribes of Covington Women's Health

While you meet with one of our physicians, you may get a chance to meet our Medical Scribe, Mykela Bolar! Her job is to help our doctors with efficiency so they can focus on the patients. She may join a doctor in the exam room and write notes about the visit so that we have a record to look back on when needed.

Phlebotomists of Covington Women's Health

After you see the doctor, you may be referred to further testing in the office. At times, our providers will order lab work to obtain more information about your help. Our amazing phlebotomists Cynthia and Jessica are experts at drawing blood, and they work here in our office so they can get it done quickly!

Sonographers of Covington Women's Health

You may also be referred to an ultrasound, provided by our wonderful Ultrasound Technicians Stephanie or Audra. Our technicians are trained to perform pelvic ultrasounds on both our pregnant and non-pregnant patients. This exam lets us take a look inside the body so that we can make a plan of action for you.

Surgery scheduling of Covington Women's Health

In some cases, you may end up needing to schedule out-of-office procedures. When this happens, our Surgery Schedulers Yvette and Courtney work with patients and providers to coordinate them. Whether it’s time to schedule your delivery during pregnancy or you need a gynecological procedure, our team will work with you to get you the care you need!

Surgical assistants of Covington Women's Health

You’re most likely to get to meet Ashley Spears and Jennifer Gilmore — our two wonderful Surgical Assistants — if you have a procedure out-of-office. They assist in these surgeries, such as C-sections or hysterectomies, to provide aid to the physicians. However, you may occasionally see them in the office as well, helping to ensure our visits are running smoothly.

The billing department at Covington Women's Health

Once your appointment is almost done, it’s time to head out! First, meet with our wonderful Billing Team: Morgan, Natalie, Christina, and Tammy. Our staff in the billing department work closely with your insurance company to help you get your visits paid for.

Registered nurses of Covington Women's Health

Once any test results are in, you’re likely to meet one of our Registered Nurses: Alana, Christine, Beth, Sherry, and Kanedrus. After our providers review patient results, it’s our registered nurses who call you to discuss your results and provide education. They also help coordinate referrals and order supplies to help in your care.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about all of the wonderful women who work to help provide our patients with excellent care! Check out our team page to learn more about some of these amazing women, and to experience their wonderful care first-hand, call us at 770-385-8954 or request an appointment online!

Provider Spotlight: Kristina Carmain

At Covington Women’s Health Specialists, we believe in providing compassionate care to every patient who walks through our doors. We are thrilled to shine the spotlight on Kristina Carmain, a midwife for our practice. Get to know Kristina in the Q & A below to learn about her background, expertise, and the personal touches she brings to our practice. 

What is your role at Covington Women’s Health Specialists? 

I’m a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner here at Covington Women’s Health Specialists.

How did you get connected with Covington Women’s Health Specialists and how long have you worked with the practice? 

Since 2015, I’ve been practicing as a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP). I began my career at New Beginnings Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare, dedicating six solid years to the field. Excitingly, I joined the fantastic team at Covington Women’s Health Specialists in June 2022. The move was a thrill for me since it’s a larger practice, allowing me to care for even more amazing patients!

Why did you choose to work in the field of obstetric/gynecologic medicine?

I just love being in women’s health because it’s not just about treating symptoms, it’s about building connections. I get to be there for my patients from their teen years to postmenopause, guiding them through all the ups and downs. This long-term bond lets me give the best, evidence-based care at every stage of a woman’s life!

What are the key challenges of this field of medicine?

Our challenges start with healthcare literacy and education. Patients rely on “Dr. Google” and “Nurse Tik Tok” for their education and there seems to be increased mistrust in healthcare practitioners.  I’m working to change that by providing the best evidence-based practice to all our patients. Making my patients feel heard, and addressing their concerns in a timely manner is incredibly important to me.

What are unique and/or special skills you have because of your work at Covington Women’s Health Specialists?

Throughout my experiences as a Midwife, I gained valuable skills and expertise in performing bedside ultrasounds for pregnancy confirmations and IUD placements. I believe these are crucial skills for a Certified Midwife and Nurse Practitioner.

What’s the most rewarding part about work at Covington Women’s Health Specialists?

I love our patients.  It’s so rewarding to be able to care for our patients throughout their lives, meeting them as adolescents and supporting them through their adult years. We celebrate their pregnancies together, we get to deliver their babies, and we continue caring for them well beyond their pregnancy journey.

What’s one thing that has surprised you about being at Covington Women’s Health Specialists?

I’ve always been impressed by how hard all our providers work to provide evidence-based practice care. We work together to achieve the best outcomes for our patients so we can accomplish our overarching goals: healthy women and healthy babies.

Is there a specific patient or work experience that left a lasting impact on you? If so, explain how and why.

Absolutely. I had a patient that went into labor as a preterm rupture and ended up having cord prolapse. Due to the relationship I built with that patient during that time, I still get updates on how she and her baby are doing, even two years later. Those updates really brighten my day.

How do you perceive the existing challenges in the current patient information culture, and what strategies do you envision employing to effectively address these challenges?

I plan on trying to get my doctorate of nursing practice in the future as I want to be able to provide evidence-based practice care and hopefully develop educational tools to the community, patients, and nursing/hospital staff about preeclampsia and postpartum depression and anxiety. In my experience we are seeing more patients with preeclampsia and postpartum depression and anxiety. Our population overall is sicker and we need better ways to reach our patient population to provide much needed education.

Tell us about yourself. Family? Hobbies? What do you enjoy doing outside the office?

I am an aunt to three nieces and two nephews, with a new one on the way. Despite living away from me, I try to stay as involved as I can.

My sisters and I try to take annual Disney trips with the kids so we can all be together, and while those are some of my favorite trips, I just love to travel in general. My goal over the next several years is to go to Europe. I’m a lover of Italian renaissance art and architecture as well as Roman, Greek, and Egyptian classical art and history.

In my free time, I also like to read and cook.