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While other kids were making plans to become firefighters and astronauts, Lawrence Mendelowitz had a somewhat uncommon career goal for a first-grader he was going to become an obstetrician.
It was just natural; my father and uncle delivered a lot of the kids I grew up with and I developed an appreciation for their work, said the Chappaqua resident.
He is now the director of obstetrics and gynecology at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow and one of four members of the Sleepy Hollow Medical Group, a Phelps OB/GYN practice located on the hospital's campus. Today, Dr. Mendelowitz provides care for hundreds of patients every year and still finds delivering babies a highlight of his life.
He also provides support for the midwives who deliver babies at Phelps.
Dr. Mendelowitz said he has seen a lot of changes in gynecology since he joined the family practice in 1980.
For example, it is no longer necessary for women over 30 to get a pap smear every year if there has been no evidence of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. For this age group, the American Society of Colposcopy & Clinical Pathology now recommends a pap smear combined with an HPV test just once every three to five years.
The practice was originally established in Tarrytown in the 1930s by Dr. Mendelowitz' uncle and was named Sleepy Hollow Medical Group in 1965. Dr. Mendelowitz has enjoyed seeing the family practice grow over the decades. He said the partnership between Sleepy Hollow Medical Group and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center has only added to its success.
In the current healthcare environment, it is difficult to run a small medical practice, he said. Being affiliated with a hospital helps the business run much more efficiently.
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