Fredericka
Heller, MD, FACOG, CCD
Fredericka Heller, MD, is a native of Berks County. She is a member of the medical staff of The Reading Hospital and Medical Center and is a board certified member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Heller is a graduate of Vassar College. She received her medical degree from The University of Pennsylvania Medical School. She completed her specialty training at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center. She is currently the Chair of the Section of Obstetrics, Department of OB/GYN at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center.
Dr. Heller is on the faculty of The Reading Hospital and Medical Center’s OB-GYN residency training program and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Drexel University College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Professional memberships include: American Medical Association, American Medical Women’s Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, International Society of Clinical Densitometrists, Pennsylvania Medical Society, Berks County Medical Society (President 2007) and the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia.
Active in the community, Dr. Heller served as a board member of the Hispanic Center of Reading and also helped initiate the Hispanic Center Scholarship Fund for Latino students. She speaks both Spanish and English. In 2000, she received the “Women of Distinction Award” from the Great Valley Girl Scout Council, and is a frequent speaker at community programs and events.
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Lynn Shay MSN CRNP
Lynn received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Regents College in 2000. She then earned her BS Degree in Human Services in 2003. After
spending over 20 years as a Certified Professional Midwife, Lynn earned her Masters in Nursing as a family nurse practitioner in 2006. In the fall of 2008, she completed advanced training in colposcopy through Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. Lynn is currently a doctoral student through the University of South Alabama and is a graduate assistant in the University’s MSN program for student nurse practitioners. She has worked part-time at Women’s Lifecycles since August of 2007, and the remainder of the week caring for family practice patients. In her “spare time” she enjoys spending time with her husband, grown children, a grandson, two Yorkies and a very naughty cat.
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Ann Griffin CRNP
Abby received her Bachelor’s Degree from Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. She earned her Associate Degree in Nursing from
Harrisburg Area Community College. Abby then worked as a nurse in a variety of healthcare settings for 21 years. She has worked as a nurse
in labor and delivery, postpartum, outpatient Ob-Gyn office, as a childbirth educator, a Doula and labor assistant. She worked as a health
educator and a nursing educator. In 2002, Abby received her Certificate as an OB-Gyn Nurse Practitioner from Planned Parenthood Federation of America/ MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA. She then earned her National Certification as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner from NCC in the same year. When not practicing women’s healthcare, Abby lives in Lebanon, PA with her husband and enjoys her three grown children. Abby has been with Women’s Lifecycles Obstetrics-Gynecology since February, 2008.
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Bridget Cortellessa
Bridget is a registered diagnostic medical sonographer with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in obstetrics and
gynecology. She is a member of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and has 14 years of ultrasound experience. She has been
with our practice since 2002. She has two children and enjoys going to ice hockey games and spending spare time traveling with her children in their camper.
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Soni Dzurkovich, RN
Soni is a registered nurse and a 1993 graduate of The Reading Hospital School of Nursing. She is certified in obstetrics and has worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse since 1995. She joined our practice in November 2005 and provides care and education to our maternity patients. She lives in Wernersville along with her husband, two daughters and son. She loves the beach and spending time with her family.
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Laurie Herb
Laurie is a radiologic technologist and graduated from The Reading Hospital and Medical Center’s School of Radiologic Technology in 1991.
She joined our practice in 2002, and currently performs Dexa (bone density) scans for the diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis. She is
a member of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry and a certified densitometry technologist (CDT). Laurie is a mother of two and enjoys reading and working out at the gym.
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Carol Faust
Carol is our receptionist at the front desk of our office. She lives in Schuylkill County and travels over an hour each way to work with us. She just joined our staff in February 2001. Carol enjoys reading, spending time with her niece and nephews (and cats) and is involved with many church youth activities.
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Jackelyn Ortega
Jacky graduated from Reading High School and worked for an electronics company before joining Women’s Lifecycles. She handles all our medical records filing and speaks fluent Spanish and therefore is able to translate for our Spanish-speaking patients. Jacky enjoys reading and being taxi mom for her son.
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Lori Spengler, LPN
Lori received her license for practical nursing upon graduation from Reading-Muhlenberg VoTech in 1982 and trained at St. Joseph’s Hospital. She then worked at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center for 8 years. She joined our staff in April 2001. In addition to functioning as Dr. Heller’s medical assistant, Lori also schedules surgical procedures for the operating room. She also makes telephone calls to patients with laboratory results, relaying Dr. Heller’s recommendations and scheduling any follow-up appointments or procedures. Lori enjoys spending time with her son and being with her dogs.
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Barbara Stricker
Barb is our office manager. (It’s Barb’s voice you hear on our answering machine.) She received an associate degree as medical secretary in 1974 and the worked for the Du Pont Company’s engineering department until 1980 when she moved to Berks County. She first met Dr. Heller while secretary to the medical director at Reading Hospital. She joined our practice two months after we opened (in 1984) as a part-time secretary and soon moved into the insurance billing person. With the advent of HMO’s she then took on the responsibilities of obtaining HMO authorizations and precertifications, and has thus became our jack-of-all-trades person that we all rely upon for all aspects of office services. Barb and her husband live on their organic dairy farm (she prefers working with people rather than cows) and have two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family and making trips to Ocean City, Maryland.
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Ruth Winkle
Ruth has been with us since 2002 as a check-out person in the front office. She has a B.S. degree from Albright College in Family and
Consumer Science and taught at the high school level. Ruth lives in Berks County with her husband and has two grown children. In her spare
time she enjoys gardening, travel, crafts and working out at the gym.
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Joy Weisner, RNC BSN
Joy is a registered nurse and a 1997 graduate of The Reading Hospital School of Nursing. In 2004, she earned ner Bachelors of Nursing Science from Kutztown University. She is certified in obstetrics and has worked as a labor and delivery nurse since 1999. She joined our practice in September 2008 and provides care and education to our maternity patients. She lives in Rockland Township with her husband and two children. She loves scrapbooking and spending time with her family.
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Rosemarie Wolfel
Rose is our billing coordinator. She joined our practice in June 2006. Rose has more than 20 years experience in medical office management and medical billing. She is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders. Rose and her husband have three grown children and several grandchildren. Rose enjoys walking for exercise, container gardening and of course spending time with her children and grandchildren.
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