Willimantic Welcomes Dr. Yvette Martas
WILLIMANTIC, CT-- September 3, 2008 – Dr. Yvette Martas is a woman with a mission. Her journey began in college, when her clinical rotations drew her into the field of Obstetrics, and she began to see OB as her chance to change the world. In a recent interview, Dr. Martas talked about her goal to see cervical cancer eradicated in her lifetime—her mission. She’s not sitting idly by waiting for this dream to come true, either.
In the most remote areas of impoverished countries, Dr. Martas volunteers with Grounds for Health to provide and teach gynecologic and obstetric care to local caregivers for women who have no doctor or hospital within reach. “It’s the most meaningful care we can offer. By making a difference in women’s lives, we can also have a positive impact on the lives of their children,” she says. Dr. Martas’ level of dedication goes way beyond that of a typical volunteer. Her commitment is reflected in the balance of her work as a volunteer in foreign countries and her career as an obstetrician gynecologist serving women in the Windham Region.
Dr. Martas credits her dedication and work ethic to the values instilled in her by her parents. The daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants, Dr. Martas was taught to “persevere, and to be respectful of the people who serve you, and to be compassionate, never forgetting where you came from.” This attitude motivated her to work in the medical field—to enhance health care for Latinos. She attended Yale University, receiving a BA in Sociology, and went on to Fordham University and Hunter College for pre-med studies. She chose Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York for medical school and stated, “I wanted to be in a place where I could help to improve the health status of Latinos.” She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at New York University, and has served at Columbia University as Director of the Allen Pavilion Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. From 2002-2006, she was the Director (and Founder) of the Honduras Project in Women’s Health via the NYU School of Medicine.
When Dr. Martas met Dr. Marilyn Kritzman, a pathologist at Windham Hospital, the two women were in Chiapas, Mexico, volunteering with Grounds for Health. The volunteers there offered obstetrical and gynecological care to more than 500 women in just four days. Through Dr. Kritzman, Dr. Martas learned about Willimantic and the Latino population within the community, and by early September, Dr. Martas joined the other practitioners at Mansfield OB/GYN Associates. She says she is “really excited to be offering comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic care to women in this community.”
“Being bilingual in English and Spanish, and having such an amazing passion for caring for patients of all ages, Dr. Martas will certainly be an asset to the Windham area. We are delighted that she has joined our practice,” says Dr. Rob Gildersleeve, a physician at Mansfield OB/GYN Associates. |