Sharon Regional Health System has added a woman's touch to its medical imaging department.

Dr. Adele Lipari, the hospital's new director of women's imaging, joined Sharon Regional about a month ago.

"Director of women's imaging" is a new title at the hospital, and Dr. Lipari is the first to hold it.

"We've really been working hard over the last few years to emphasize women's health," said John R. Janoso Jr., vice president and chief information officer at Sharon Regional. "We're really trying to make certain women in the community understand what we have to offer."

Along with Dr. Lipari's arrival, the hospital also has a new prone stereotactic breast biopsy table to replace its existing upright machine and a state-of-the-art computer system to double-check mammogram films.

Dr. Lipari, who hails from Canfield, Ohio, and worked for 18 years at Forum Health in Youngstown, said she was ready for a change.

"I felt this particular community could use some improvement in the women's health area," she said.

She added that this community is smaller and the people are friendlier than in Youngstown.

"I think it has a lot of potential here," she said. "I like the friendliness of the community ... people working together."

Janoso said that from a woman's perspective, Dr. Lipari brings a lot to the community.

"This is a major find for us," he said.

Dr. Lipari's main emphasis is mammography, and she is concerned that not enough women are getting their yearly mammogram. She plans on holding some educational programs on women's health at Hermitage HealthPlace next month.

"There is such a need in this town. It absolutely amazes me so few women go for a yearly mammogram," she said. "I want to educate women ... what they need to know to take control of their health. Screening is really important."

For the convenience of patients, mammograms are offered at three locations: the hospital in Sharon, HealthPlace and the Brookfield Medical Center. All films are read at the hospital.

Both Dr. Lipari and Janoso believe that a woman radiologist enhances the degree of comfort in women who are having mammograms, which may lead to the more reluctant patients going for their annual screenings.

"For the first time, we represent the whole patient, with a female radiologist, specialized equipment and highly trained technicians," Janoso said. "Our goal is to try to take care of the whole woman. Our goal is to put their minds at ease."