From teaching local healthcare providers in Senegal ways to care for women and their health, to changing the way women feel about their gynecological experience, Dr. Amy Holda Gueye-Weinstein is affecting women's lives around the world for the better. She is the brilliant mind and compassionate heart behind Visionary Women's Health in Columbia.
Tell us a little about yourself and where you are from originally.
I was born in Senegal in West Africa and came to the United States when I was two. My father was a diplomat working with the embassy in Senegal, which is how I grew up on this side of the globe. I returned to live in Senegal for two years when I was 13. I decided I wanted to go into medicine after seeing the healthcare system there. When I returned from Senegal, I went to Churchill High School and then completed my undergraduate studies at Hood College in Frederick. I worked for the National Cancer Institute in Frederick for a year before going to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville for medical school. I completed my residency at Johns Hopkins and earned my master's degree in public health before moving on with my career.
What does your name 'Holda' mean?
Holda is a German name that my father chose because he traveled around the world so often. Each of my siblings has a foreign name, too!
What do you like about the Columbia area?
I like the diversity in Columbia. I like that it spans all socio-economic statuses, all races and backgrounds. I see myself as a very diverse person with a broad background. I want to be able to attract a diverse group of patients.
Who influenced you to go into the medical field?
I left the US for Senegal, convinced I was going to be a singer. One day, I was waiting at the bus stop, and an orphan was standing not far from me; and he had no shoes, his feet looked infected, and he was hungry and sick. When I went to give him some money, he asked, "Is there a doctor that you know of who could help me." At that moment, I had this epiphany: I realized that healthcare is a human right, just as food is, and all the other things this orphanage wasn't providing. That's when I decided to use my life for a different purpose, and I chose to become a physician to try to help countries like Senegal.
What is HALFA?
HALFA stands for Holda's Access Life Foundation for Africa. I created HALFA to provide access to medicines and technologies that make the difference between life and death. Where you live should not determine your right to life. One example is when we brought medicine to treat high blood pressure in pregnant women, which is one reason women die in childbirth. Simple intervention can save a life. We try to identify what we can make accessible so that people don't die from preventable diseases. Every year, I go to Senegal to lead several cancer projects and maternal mortality projects. My goal is to teach local health care providers. Those who we have trained in previous projects are continuing our work.
What led you to choose women's health as your specialty?
I originally thought that I would be a pediatrician and was matched with a mentor doing leukemia research. He was a surgeon and happened to be working on a big gynecological female cancer case, and I thought how cool it would be if I could join in on that case. I was able to work with many women, and that experience changed my mind. I believe that women are the foundation of all societies, and if women are healthy, then societies are healthier.
Why did you decide to go into practice on your own?
I have worked in a lot of different settings; academic settings, small private practices and large practices... I found that there were specific barriers between myself and the patient and the kind of care I wanted to provide was not possible unless I was making the rules and restructuring thedynamic. About four years ago, I decided that the only way I would help patients in the way that I wanted to was to branch out and open my own practice.
What should a patient expect at your boutique practice?
The first thing, when patients walk through the door, is that I want them to feel at home, welcome and calm. I want to decrease their anxiety as much as possible because the gynecologist can be a high anxiety place. We try to do that with the aesthetics, aromatherapy, and room design. We provide socks, water, soft music and ask them how the room temperature feels. I always tell the patient what I will do and how I will do it. I tell all patients to contact me rather than googling because I want them to see me as their friend and their doctor. They can pick my brain, and we can be partners in their health. I give them my cell phone number. You won't get that anywhere else. When I can take the time to tell them what I know and give them a little education, they make better decisions and choices because they understand.
Specifically, what is unique about Visionary Women's Health?
The interaction will be one where there is no barrier.That mechanical, sterile environment that creates anxiety is not what patients will experience here. Although I am an MD with Western medical training, I appreciate that our systems aren't isolated and believe in taking care of the entire person. We integrate other wellness. Whether it's talking about mindfulness, meditation, or yoga, we try to find ways to address everyone's needs and meet them where they are.
Why integrate med spa treatments with women's wellness?
When we feel and look our best, we operate at our best as women. Beauty is different for everyone. To be able to see them and to take care of the concerns they have with their physical appearance. That's what I want to offer our patients.
What gives meaning to your life?
Knowing that I'm changing someone's life, whether it be small actions or entire programs like HALFA. That's what drives me and gives me the motivation to get up every day and do more. When I leave this life, I would like for people to look back and say, 'She made the world a little better while she was here.'
What activities outside work do you enjoy?
I like spending time with my children. I enjoy meaningful conversations about the big questions in life. I likewriting, reading, and my close friends and family.
Who inspires you, and why?
My father, who I think no matter where I was in life, whether I was going to be a singer or doctor, always said, "You're going to be amazing at whatever it is you are going to do!" That outlook and absolute belief is something I want to radiate to all those I meet, whether it's my patients, my children, or my loved ones. I want to be able to look at them like my father looked at me.
VisionaryWomensHealth.com
