A recent addition to Ideal Gynecology’s staff, Garren has a passion for all things related to women’s health. While her focus includes gynecological problem visits and annual exams, she has a particular interest in post-menopausal care, contraceptive management, and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.
Garren started her professional education at Anderson University, S.C. with little idea as to where her career would take her. Her passion for women’s health began during an undergraduate clinical rotation in labor and delivery.
With the support of an academic mentor, Garren was able to find her niche, and after receiving her Bachelor’s, she enrolled at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory.
Shortly after graduation, Garren started working at a Gwinnett practice, Preferred Women’s Healthcare alongside Dr. Audrey Arona. While working there, she was able to collaborate with and meet many professionals from Gwinnett Medical Center and the surrounding area. She enjoyed learning and growing from not only her coworkers and peers but her patients.
The practice dissolved in Decem-ber of 2018, and soon after, Garren was hired by Ideal Gynecology. She looks forward to expanding her practice and building strong relationships with her patients.
“Women are relational beings,” Garren said. “We all know someone who we rely on, whether that’s Google or a close girlfriend, who might not always provide the right information. It is my hope that women will begin to trust and rely on their healthcare providers as their source of information when it comes to their health.”
One thing Garren found refreshing when she started at Ideal Gynecology was the collaborative and accepting relationship she shares with her peers. The three providers at the Atlanta practice, along with the practice owner, Dr. Lillian Schapiro, and another WHNP, Ashlee Forrester, enjoy bouncing ideas off each other to ensure their patients receive the best care.
“You’re walking into three very empathetic providers,” Garren said of the patient experience at Ideal Gynecology. “We are very relatable and willing to walk hand in hand with you.”
With a staff of highly trained professionals, Ideal Gynecology provides care for a diverse array of women. Annual exams, contraceptive counseling, irregular periods, perimenopause, weight management, and CoolSculpting are just a few of the services offered.
“We specialize in all areas of gynecology and pregnancy up to 12 weeks,” Garren said of their practice. The clinic is located in Atlanta at 3200 Downwood Circle, Suite 220, and has long-held ties with patients in Gwinnett and across the metro area.
Garren and the others at Ideal Gynecology believe that gynecology is at the center of maintaining the well-being of healthy women across the Atlanta area.
As part of her community outreach, she often speaks to small groups of women to spread awareness about STI’s and to share tips about preventative care regarding different forms of birth control. More recently, she published an article on cervical health in Rolling Out Magazine, and she regularly makes educational materials to share wither her patients.
Garren added, “People are often embarrassed or timid when it comes to speaking about their health. So, I try to be an empathetic provider; that’s my motivating factor.”
As the first member of her family to enter the medical field, the career she holds is different than anything she had experienced growing up, but Garren knows she made the right choice every time she thinks about her family.
“Several women in my family including my mom and aunts have had issues with their female health,” Garren said. ”So every day I tell myself, ‘Let me be the provider who my family would love to see.’ “
A native of South Carolina, Garren makes frequent trips back home to Greenville or Lake Hartwell to visit family, and when she can, watch the Clemson Tigers play football.
Garren hopes that her strong family bond will help her provide even better care and be more empathetic as a provider.
“I love what I do — woman to woman there’s a special bond,” Gar-ren said of the extensive care she enjoys providing. “I love when my patients come in, and we talk about whatever may be bothering them and work together to find a solution. Then after several months, they come back to follow up saying, ‘You saved my marriage, job, etc…’ That makes it all worth it to me.”
To learn more about Garren or any of the other providers at Ideal Gynecology, or to schedule an appointment, call (470) 312-3696 or visit the website at http://idealgynecology.com.
