Celebrate National Women Physicians Day
Feb. 3 is National Women Physicians Day, a time to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of women in medicine.
The holiday is observed in honor of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York in 1849.
Another pioneering woman physician is Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to become a medical doctor in the U.S. She received her doctorate in 1864 from New England Female Medical College.
Today and every day, we thank all of MultiCare Health Systemâs many women physicians. Below, weâve collected a few stories about their inspiring work.
Award-winning Deaconess Transitions of Care team supports patientsâ success beyond the hospital
Meghan Roberts, MD, saw an opportunity to help ease patientsâ shift from hospital to home by launching the Deaconess Transitions of Care (TOC) Team.
Dr. Roberts, medical director for MultiCareâs Inland Northwest hospitalists, says the teamâs goal is to ensure no one leaves the hospital without a scheduled follow-up appointment.
âOur goal is to set patients up for success,â Dr. Roberts says.
Rockwood physician: HIV treatment has evolved. Now, letâs focus on long-term care
Rachel Safran, MD, joined MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in 2021 and is working on a number of HIV-related research projects in partnership with the MultiCare Institute for Research & Innovation.
Four decades after HIV became public knowledge, weâve reached a point where researchers can focus on caring for those living long term with the virus, says Dr. Safran, who is one of the Inland Northwestâs only pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) providers, a proactive medication for individuals with a known risk of exposure to HIV.
MultiCare physicians receive ACP awards
Dr. Roberts and Dr. Safran, referenced in stories above, were recognized in 2022 by the Washington Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP).
Dr. Roberts was named Hospitalist of the Year for excellence in clinical skills, dedication to her patients, enthusiasm for medical practice and leadership.
Dr. Safran earned the ACPâs Golden Apple Award, which recognizes her significant contributions to medical education in the Inland Northwest community.
Through the decades, Rockwood Clinic provider finds pride in walking alongside patients
Throughout her 35-year career, Beth Orenstein, MD, has seen many things grow and evolve, from the ratio of women physicians to provider compensation to maternity leave practices.
âWhen I started, there were three other women physicians out of 78,â says Dr. Orenstein, who is a family medicine doctor at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic.
Mary Bridge Childrenâs psychologist named NAMI Washingtonâs Pediatric Provider of the Year
Chris Ladish, PhD, chief clinical officer of pediatric behavioral health at Mary Bridge Childrenâs Hospital and MultiCare Behavioral Health Network, earned the 2022 Pediatric Provider of the Year award from the Washington state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
A licensed clinical psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist, Ladish has spent the past 25 years building and strengthening mental health services for children in need, particularly for those in Pierce and South King counties.
Black History Month: 5 times Black scientists and clinicians have changed the landscape of health care
Although not MultiCare-specific, weâve profiled some pioneering Black women clinicians in honor of Black History Month, including Patricia Bath, MD. Dr. Bath was the first Black female surgeon at the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles.
