Porter Physician Group's Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center Expands Service in Portage
4/20/2016
VALPARAISO, IN (April 21, 2016) - Porter Physician Group’s Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center recently opened a new location at Portage Hospital, 3630 Willowcreek Road.
“We’re excited to expand our reach and ultimately help even more people in Northwest Indiana,” explains Geoffrey Schwartz, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center. “All of our ENT physicians treat patients from infancy to the elderly; and the conditions we treat can have a dramatic impact on a person’s life.”
The collaboration between the otolaryngologists and audiologists at Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center benefits adult and pediatric patients, ensuring they receive outstanding care for disorders of the head and neck. The highly skilled ENT specialists treat patients for everything from advanced endoscopic sinus surgery, the treatment of snoring and sleep disorders, help with voice and swallowing disorders and the fitting and dispensing of hearing aids.
“Basically, we take care of everything from the collarbone up, with the exception of the eyeballs and the brain,” says James Turk, D.O., an otolaryngologist at the Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center. “Common or complex, we can help our patients find relief.”
Michael Keenan, M.D., has been an otolaryngologist with Porter Physician Group since 1997 and has seen a wide range of illness. “No two days and no two patients are the same. We really offer individualized care to decide the best treatment for our patients.”
Services offered at the center include:
- Ear infections – Children with persistent or recurrent ear infections may benefit from the placement of temporary tubes in the ear drums (tympanostomy tubes).
- Other Ear Diseases – With the assistance of audiologists, the board-certified physicians treat ear disorders causing hearing loss or ringing in the ears.
- Balance Disorders – The multidisciplinary team of physicians and audiologists work together to treat vertigo (dizziness) and other balance disorders.
- Nose & Sinus Disorders – Nasal and sinus disorders including recurrent sinus infections, nasal polyps, nasal tumors and deviated septum are evaluated and treated.
- Tonsils & Adenoids – Persistent or recurrent tonsil or adenoid infections may require medical or surgical treatment.
- Snoring & Sleep Disorders – Patients who snore and suffer from sleep apnea are treated with the latest techniques, including advanced surgical procedures if necessary.
- Head & Neck Masses – In children and adults, any mass, nodule, growth or tumor of the head and neck should be evaluated.
Some patients are referred to ENT specialists by family doctors, while other patients choose to come directly to the specialists. Sometimes going to the family doctor is the right first step, while other times it’s best to go right to the specialists, Dr. Turk explains. Hearing loss is an example of when someone should seek out an ENT specialist immediately.
“If someone experiences sudden hearing loss, see an ENT specialist within a day or two,” Dr. Turk says. “The sooner we see them, the sooner we can start treatment. Otherwise, it could result in permanent damage.”
Pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders are among the primary reasons for children’s doctor visits, with ear infections as the No. 1 reason. At Porter, our physicians recognize the unique issues involved in treating children with ear, nose and throat conditions and take the time to explain a child’s condition and the treatment plan to ensure parents are well informed and children receive the care they need.
“I really enjoy working with my pediatric patients and their parents and having conversations to decide what’s in the best interest of the child going forward,” explains Matthew Provenzano, M.D., who is fellowship trained pediatric otolaryngology.
Dr. Provenzano is also particularly interested in ear surgery to restore hearing loss, congenital problems and treating chronic infections. He has performed cochlear implants in patients of all ages with great success. Cochlear implants are small electronic devices surgically implanted in the inner ear that help provide a sense of sound to people who are profoundly deaf or hard-of-hearing. If the hearing loss is due to a neurologic inner ear problem, and the person has no functional hearing, a cochlear implant will improve hearing significantly.
Dr. Provenzano sees cochlear implant candidates who range in age from children born deaf to adults who develop hearing loss later in life. “One of the things we pride ourselves on is how we’ve developed a team approach with our audiologists to help our patients step-by-step in the process,” says Dr. Provenzano. “For our cochlear implant patients, our goal is to ultimately help them find a place in the hearing world and be able to do the simple things in life that many take for granted, like talking on the phone or going to the movies.”
In addition to seeing patients in Portage, the Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center has two Valparaiso locations – 2802 Leonard Drive and at Porter Regional Hospital in the Porter Medical Plaza, 85 E. US Highway 6.
For more information about the Ear, Nose, Throat & Sinus Center, visit PorterPhysicianGroup.com or call 219-531-0355.
Porter Health Care System has two hospital campuses and seven outpatient facilities serving Porter, Lake, LaPorte, Starke and Jasper counties. With more than 350 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, Porter Health Care System is committed to medical excellence and personalized, patient-centered care. Porter is directly or indirectly owned by a partnership that proudly includes physician owners, including certain members of the hospital’s medical staff.
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