Women's Health

Pelvic Pain & Vulvar Disease Center

About Us

Our Center is dedicated to treatment, education, and research on pelvic pain and vulvar disease. We are part of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and have access to all of its resources.

Our mission to is to treat all of our patients as individuals with the goal of curing their pain. We never lose sight of this ideal. We know, however, with medical science’s current understanding of chronic pain that cure is not always possible. When cure is not possible, we believe it is important to work in partnership with our patient to achieve several alternative goals: (a) reduce pain to the lowest level possible, (b) return to normal activities, and (c) help our patient control her pain rather than allowing the pain to control her.

Our Staff

Fred M. Howard, M.S., M.D., is an internationally recognized expert on chronic pelvic pain in women and advanced laparoscopic surgery. He is senior editor of the textbook Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management and on the board of directors of the International Pelvic Pain Society.

David C. Foster, M.D., M.P.H., is an internationally recognized expert on diseases of the vulva and vagina, especially vulvar pain. He is an advisor to the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease and the National Vulvodynia Association.

Ellen L. Poleshuck, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of women coping with chronic pain and medical illness, anxiety, depression, and physical and sexual abuse.

Meredith Walton, R.N., is a registered nurse with special expertise in the care of women with pelvic pain, vulvar pain, and gynecologic disorders.

Leigh Ann Wagner, B.S., is our medical assistant/receptionist and for several years has been actively helping us care for women with pelvic pain.