SHARON — With more young families settling in the region, there are likely to be more babies to be counted in the mix. Meeting the projected demand, Sharon OB-GYN Associates has welcomed a new physician to their practice, Dr. William Schweizer, who has moved full-time to Cornwall and is enthusiastic about serving the community’s needs.
Pausing for an interview on Thursday, Feb. 3, Dr. Schweizer said that he opened his practice on Jan. 3, at the Women’s Health CT professional building at 50 Amenia Road (Route 343) in Sharon. He has full privileges at Sharon Hospital.
Offering a wealth of credentials and experience, Schweizer said he began his medical studies with an early interest in public health, anticipating that he would study neurology and multiple sclerosis. As his education progressed, he was drawn toward longevity of care, wellness visits and screening practices.
NYU and Yale
Eventually he focused on emergency procedures and dealing with complications that require fast and effective action. Those studies led Schweizer to obstetrics as a specialty and the medical art of dealing with complications and emergencies calling for swift response.
Through his studies and residency at New York University (NYU), he was versed in safety protocols and saw the importance of a high-quality department of obstetrics, learning how to assemble the best people to create such a department.
Schweizer did his pre-med at Cornell, and also earned a Master of Public Health degree at Yale where he was among the first to earn that newly offered degree.
Furthering his specialty in obstetrics, he accomplished his residency at NYU where he has remained for 38 years, now continuing his association as a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, specializing in teaching means for improving medical safety.
“We are fortunate to be living in a country with technology, innovation and enthusiasm for possibilities,” he said.
From around the world to Sharon
He and like-minded colleagues are working together to improve conditions in other parts of the world. “We’re trying to decrease maternal hemorrhaging in third-world countries,” he said of their work, noting a significant shortage of physicians for women in South America, for example.
Speaking of his new Sharon practice, he said, “This is a wonderful community. I feel honored to be able to contribute in some way.”
Deeply committed to the area’s OB-GYN needs, Schweizer observed that Northwest Corner demographics have changed in recent years.
He noted statistics showing the likelihood of 250 more children enrolled in area schools by 2030. The birthrate is changing and the population is changing, he said.
“We should anticipate the change,” he said, noting that many women have put off childbearing because of the pandemic. “We will see an increase in childbearing,” he predicted.
Schweizer joins the three other doctors on staff there now: Bhavana Daruvuri, Joshua Jaffe and Howard Mortman.
Why here?
“My heart has always been here,” he said, pleased to now be a full-time Cornwall resident, after 24 years as a part-time resident enjoying Cornwall with his family on weekends.
As he thought of transitioning from life in New York City, he recognized that there are great advantages for life outside of the city and he is not alone. “I see many friends and families moving here.”
New residents who have made the area their home, have taken advantage of tele-commuting through Zoom and other platforms and working from home in general, he said.
“Our community will be expanding,” he added, indicating that the proposed changes at Sharon Hospital are flawed by being “shortsighted.”
He and his wife, Alison, first came to Cornwall 24 years ago when their twins, Noah and Elia, were newborns. Elia is now a recognized textile artist and Noah has developed a career in medical infomatics, where he develops apps useful to the medical profession.
Alison’s career focused on Wall Street, and Schweizer indicates that she has strong talents for organizing. She presently volunteers with the Cornwall Library.
Photo by Graham Corrigan
