Makena® Pulled Off the Market

Makena® , the injection used to reduce the risk of recurrent preterm delivery, has been pulled off the market by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The injection was given weekly to lessen the chance of preterm birth in women who had already experienced a spontaneous preterm birth.

Makena® can no longer be obtained from pharmacies including home health companies. But the medication itself is safe to use if you have it already or if your home health provider has a supply on hand. And there is no cause for concern if you have already been receiving injections. The reason it was removed from the market was that the FDA felt the makers of the medication did not prove it worked well enough to keep it on the market. Preterm babies can have serious problems related to being born early, and initial testing showed the drug did work.

“We have seen many patients benefit from the use of Makena® ,” says Dr. Cathy Larrimore, who is disappointed in the decision. “Patients who delivered early in the past, then used Makena® during a second pregnancy and delivered at full term are likely to be upset that they can no longer use this medication.”

Vaginal progesterone, which is recommended to treat a short cervix during pregnancy, may be offered to some patients who have a short cervix or who do not feel comfortable going without any treatment at all to help prevent spontaneous preterm birth.

“Although the vaginal progesterone is available, it is not approved by the FDA to prevent recurrent preterm birth unless the cervix is found to be shortened,” Dr. Larrimore says. “But it is a progesterone and has not been shown to be harmful. Each patient will have to discuss medication use with her own physician.”

Your health during pregnancy and preventing preterm delivery when we can are important, which is why Covington Women’s Health Specialists is here to support you. To discuss your concerns during pregnancy with a member of our caring team, make an appointment online or call us at 770-385-8954.

Covington Women’s Health Specialists Wins Award From Best of Newton

Covington Women’s Health Specialists was voted the Best Obstetrics & Gynecology in the 2021 Best of Newton Award! 

Every year Newton County residents nominate and vote for their favorite local businesses with The Covington News. The categories are in the community, auto and transportation, education, medical, professionals, business and food and beverage industries.

“We are extremely proud of our team to be acknowledged for their quality care, “ Dr. Cathy T. Larrimore said. “This recognition is extremely meaningful after this year. We are so grateful for our wonderful patients’ support during the pandemic and their trust in us.”

Thank you to everyone who voted for Covington Women’s Health Specialists. We are honored to serve you and our community!

My Chart Lab Results Update

***ATTENTION***

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR LAB RESULTS

Our electronic medical records is very efficient.  You may receive your lab results before the provider has reviewed them.  We will contact you within 7 business days with your plan of care.  Please do not call the office, the nurse will not have the plan until your provider has reviewed your results.

Partnering with Students: Our Specialists Clinical Program

A major component of education for anyone hoping to become a healthcare provider is a process called clinical rotations. This multi-year undertaking occurs when students work with a professional within their chosen field, going into offices and hospitals and working with patients one on one. Doing so gives them the hands-on experience they need to flourish in their career and also gives them the opportunity to work with medical issues that they’ve only read about so far.

Covington Women’s Health Specialists providers understand the importance of clinical work. That’s why they partner with multiple universities to serve as preceptors for clinical rotations. Not only does this benefit those ready to jump into the healthcare workforce, but it also benefits Covington Women’s Health Specialists

“Normally, we see third-year medical students coming through our offices,” Denise Cochran, a Certified Nurse Midwife and Student Coordinator at Covington Women’s Health Specialists stated. Medical students from Augusta University/University of Georgia Partnership complete 6-week rotations with the office. “We tailor our clinical programs to give those students as much experience and exposure as possible. They’re in the office appointments with us, they round in the hospitals, they assist in surgeries, and they also learn in labor and delivery. For many of them, this is their first time in a clinical rotation, so we want to make it as beneficial to them as possible.”

In addition to medical students, Covington Women’s Health Specialists routinely teaches midwifery students and family nurse practitioner students who are required to do an OBGYN rotation. Midwifery students complete rotations both in the office and in the hospital labor and delivery unit. They partner with numerous universities including Emory, Vanderbilt, Frontier Nursing and the University of Georgia, creating future healthcare providers in their offices. 

Currently, our practice is partnered with one student who will do her clinical work with them for two years before becoming a midwife in Covington herself. While she earns her degree, she’ll be building relationships with her future patients and solidifying her future role at the very place she will eventually work.

Denise said, “We almost always have someone in the office working with us. It’s such a great program because of that. They get to use our offices to learn, and we get to have most recent medical information taught in the schools brought into our practice.”

Read our student spotlights here:

Cat Palmer, BSN-RN, IBCLC

Leah Topper, Medical Student Year 3 (“MS3”)

Grace Kim, Medical Student Year 3 (“MS3”)

Courtney Dorris, SNM

Covington Women’s Health Implements Telemedicine Visits

We have moved quickly to implement televisits as a scheduling option for our established patients.  Certain health care needs can be provided over the phone without an in-person visit.  This service lets us provide the care you need without having to leave your home.  Our scheduling staff will provide you with the instructions for your telehealth visit when you make your appointment.

  • Birth control consultation
  • Incontinence
  • Lactation consultations and concerns including mastitis
  • Medication follow ups, adjustments or new prescriptions
  • Mood concerns or follow up medical checks
  • Perimenopause or menopause consultations
  • Treatment plan for gynecological issues
  • Vaginitis or urinary tract infections
  • Irregular and heavy periods consultations
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome diagnosis and counseling

*Please be aware that this visit will result in a charge to your insurance company and coinsurance and deductible will apply.

Covington Women’s Health Specialists Physician Dr. Meridith Farrow Appeared on the “The Weekly Check-Up”

Covington Women’s Health Specialists physician, Dr. Meridith Farrow appeared on “The Weekly Check-Up” on News/Talk WSB Radio on Sunday, January 12th. The weekly radio show addresses a wide range of topics about health. It includes in-studio interviews and caller questions fielded by featured guests and the show’s host.

On the January 12th show, Dr. Farrow discussed sexual dysfunction and decreased libido. As a dedicated, all female OB-GYN and midwifery care practice for every stage of a woman’s life, these conditions are treated here at Covington Women’s Health Specialists.

In the in-depth interview with the show’s host Dr. Bruce Feinberg, Dr. Farrow shared her personal background, what drew her to practice medicine, and her choice of the OB-GYN specialty. They discussed a recent medical study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that finds no meaningful association between using talc-based or other powders and ovarian cancer. Dr. Farrow shared the findings particularly interested her since she lost her mother from ovarian cancer, which shaped her career choice to be a doctor.

Dr. Farrow also spoke about her practice of “Gyno-chiatry,”a term she created to describe her process of evaluating if a patient’s sexual dysfunction is a mental issue, a physical issue, or both. From there, she decides if there are behavioral changes her patients can focus on addressing in their personal lives, if medicine or medical procedures are needed, or if a combination of both physical and mental health treatments can help.

Dr. Farrow ended the show encouraging women to speak up about sexual dysfunction and decreased libido, especially with their gynecologists. They are here to help, so find one you are comfortable working with to address these issues and find a treatment that works for you.

Listen to the informative interview here.