Women physicians and other health professionals throughout the U.S. are exemplifying resilience and innovation, tackling myriad challenges and overcoming hurdles to provide better care and sustainability in medicine–even in a system that often poses unique hurdles to their success.
Whether addressing inequities in access to care, advancing health equity or driving breakthroughs in patient education, these women physicians are not only solving problems but transforming the future of medicine. From rural clinics to bustling urban hospitals, their stories reveal a relentless commitment to improving lives.
Here is a collection of AMA news articles featuring women physicians who are taking on a wide array of health issues to improve patient care and education. They all practice in organizations that are members of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
Amber Savells, MD, removes stigma around dyspareunia
- Experiencing pain during or immediately after sexual activity—known as dyspareunia—is a condition affecting many women, yet it remains a topic often shrouded in silence. Pain during or after sex can affect about 10–20% of women in the U.S. This may be a low estimate, though, as many women don’t seek medical help for painful sex and therefore underreporting is likely. To help, Dr. Savells, an ob-gyn at Baptist Health, shares what women facing dyspareunia need to know.
- Also, learn more about how Baptist Health ob-gyn Jennifer Heer Ford, MD, gets ahead of postpartum challenges before birth.
Kimberly Dawn Warner, MD, helps women plan or delay pregnancies
- Social media platforms—particularly TikTok—have become hotbeds of misinformation about birth control, with highly persuasive videos vilifying hormonal contraception. Myths and misinformation in circulation have caused significant concern among physicians as they see an increasing number of women discontinuing their contraceptives. That is why Dr. Warner, an ob-gyn at Colorado Permanente Medical Group, is educating women about birth control as part of maternal health.
Bindu Nayak, MD, tackles the effects of air pollution from wildfires
- Sixteen places in Washington have been identified as communities overburdened by poor air quality. A review of data from 2016 to 2020 found that residents of these communities had an average lifespan of 78 years, compared with 80.4 among people across the rest of Washington. Dr. Nayak, an endocrinologist with Confluence Health, noticed the impact the smoke was having on the community—particularly Hispanic children with asthma who had become frequent visitors to emergency departments. Learn more about how Confluence Health is meeting this health challenge head on.
- Visit AMA Advocacy in Action to find out what’s at stake in combating the health effects of climate change and other advocacy priorities the AMA is actively working on.
Shannon L. Goldsmith, DO, connects more personally with patients
- Eight years ago, Dr. Goldsmith realized it was time for a change. After working within a large health system that prioritized workflow efficiency, she discovered her true passion lay in spending more time building meaningful connections with her patients. She joined the Hattiesburg Clinic’s Petal Family Practice Clinic and got back in touch with what drove her to medicine. Learn more about how building personal connections has helped Dr. Goldsmith provide more meaningful care.
Denise White Perkins, MD, PhD, helps Black men gain BP control
- Leaders at Henry Ford Health saw significant gaps in the rate of hypertension control for Black adults, and specifically for Black men between 35 and 64 years old in their Detroit community. To help, Henry Ford Health connected with about 1,000 Black men in the Detroit area who had high BP and engaged with more than one-third of them. Of that group, almost half got their BP under control within six months. Learn more about how Dr. White Perkins, chair of the family medicine department at Henry Ford Health, and her colleagues made such a positive impact for Black male patients with hypertension.
Ainsley MacLean, MD, clear the air on AI
- With the rise of health AI tools, accessing medical information has never been easier, or more overwhelming. As helpful as these tools can be, the results can sometimes lead to confusion, misinterpretation or even anxiety. That is why Dr. MacLean, a radiologist and chief medical information officer and chief AI officer for Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, took time to discuss what patients need to know about navigating AI searches for health tips.
Johnna Nynas, MD, reaches pregnant patients at their homes
- Dr. Nynas, an ob-gyn at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in Northwest Minnesota, was facing a huge need in her area: Only four ob-gyns were available to care for more than 100,000 patients. Working during her personal time, Dr. Nynas applied for a federal grant to get more resources for her area. With the grant in hand, Sanford Health assembled a team that sets up appointments, offers transportation, facilitates nurse home visits and is developing three innovative telehealth programs. Learn more about how Dr. Nynas and her colleagues are helping to improve access to maternal health care in rural Northern Minnesota.
Katie Land, MD, combats misinformation about vaccines
- There has been a recent resurgence of measles in the U.S. This has prompted concerns from both physicians and the general public. And with vaccination rates faltering in some areas, physicians and public health agencies stress the importance of immunization and vigilance. To help, Dr. Land, a pediatrician at The Permanente Medical Group, educates patients about how to prevent measles and keep communities safe.
Ericka C. Gibson, MD, boosts postpartum BP control by 43%
- Within the intricate web of maternal care, The Southeast Permanente Medical Group took a technology-based approach to solve an all-too-common health problem in pregnant and postpartum patients: hypertension. Wielding the power of remote patient monitoring like a beacon of hope against the formidable foe of hypertension, the medical group aims to rewrite the narrative of maternal health. Learn more about how The Southeast Permanente Medical Group’s home-monitoring program is succeeding by engaging patients.
Desiree L. Evans, MD, MPH, cares for children when parents can’t pay
- When Dr. Evans started her pediatric practice with the Texas Children’s Community Cares program, it was called “Project Medical Home” and operated out of a small office with three exam rooms, a waiting room and a small space for the nurses. Some 20-plus years later, the program has eight Houston-area locations where services are provided regardless of parents’ ability to pay. This includes well visits, nutrition education and a social worker who helps families connect to low-cost insurance and other community resources. Discover how the program meets patients’ needs at Texas Children’s Pediatrics.
Fabiana C. Policeni, MD, provides more accurate breast screenings
- About half of all women 40 or older in the U.S. have dense breasts, a risk factor for breast cancer. But University of Iowa Health Care is beating the odds with a diagnostic tool that more efficiently identifies cancer in dense breast tissue. Dr. Policeni, a radiologist and breast imaging director at UI Health Care, and her colleagues implemented a unique mammogram approach that catches what regular screenings might miss. Learn more about the innovative approach for breast cancer screenings.
The AMA Women Physicians Section consists of more than 100,000 members of the AMA and aims to increase the number and influence of women physicians in leadership roles and to advocate for and advance the understanding of women’s health issues.
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