We're Celebrating Women's History Month!

Mar 28, 2018 11:32:17 AM / by Voyage Healthcare Team posted in Women's Health

March is women’s history month! Here at Voyage Healthcare, we’re celebrating women’s history in the medical field.

Here’s a quick look at how far we’ve come, and where we are today. 

Clara Barton.jpg

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross 

A Quick Look at How Far We’ve Come

1849

Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman in the United States to earn her M.D., graduating from Geneva Medical College. The college admits Blackwell as little more than a joke, and subsequently decides not to admit more women. However, Blackwell goes on to become a pioneer for women in medicine. In 1857, she establishes the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, the first hospital in the nation to be run by women and to provide clinical training for women.

1850 

The Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, the first medical college for women, is founded by a group of Quakers. The college trains thousands of women doctors during its time as an all-female college, becoming coeducational in 1970.

1864

Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first African American woman in the US to earn her M.D., graduating from the New England Female Medical College. Her 1883 Book of Medical Discourses is also one of the first medical books published by an African American. 

1881

Clara Barton establishes the American Red Cross after traveling abroad and learning about the Switzerland-based Red Cross. In one of its first disaster relief efforts, the American Red Cross responds to the September 1881 Michigan “Thumb Fire,” which “left thousands homeless and without crops, livestock or jobs.” Today, the Red Cross serves members of the armed forces and their families, and provides disaster relief services across the United States and around the world.

1889

Susan La Flesche Picotte becomes the first Native American woman to earn her MD in the United States. She goes on to provide medical care for over 1300 people, covering an area of over 450 square miles.

1952 

Dr. Virginia Apgar develops the Apgar score to evaluate newborn health. It’s used to help determine if the baby needs additional care.

1998

Dr. Nancy Dickey becomes first female president of the American Medical Association. She currently serves as a professor in Texas A&M’s Department of Family and Community Medicine and Department of Medical Humanities. She also serves as the Executive Director of Texas A&M’s Rural and Community Health Institute, which “serves in a consultative role with hospitals and communities across the state of Texas to facilitate best practices in patient safety, enhanced quality of care, and physician excellence.”  

Where Are We Today?

In 2017, more women than men enrolled in U.S. medical schools for the first time in history. And it’s not just M.D.s, either - women have also made incredible strides as doctors of osteopathy, nurse practitioners, and dieticians.

At Voyage Healthcare, we’re proud to provide exceptional obstetric and gynecological care for our patients. We’re proud to offer these services at three locations, including our Center for Women’s Health. At Voyage Healthcare, we are dedicated to providing personal, quality care to patients of all ages and stages of life. 

What makes a great women's health clinic? We're glad you asked! If you're looking for a clinic, download our checklist to learn what to look for! 

Find out what factors to consider when choosing your women's health clinic. Download the complete checklist - How to evaluate a women's health clinic

Voyage Healthcare Team

Written by Voyage Healthcare Team

Voyage Healthcare is an independently owned, multi-specialty healthcare clinic — guided by the doctors who care for families in the northwest metro area of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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