Heidi Wittenberg, MD: SFMS May 2013 Member of the Month June 6, 2013 Member of the Month, SFMS Member Heidi Wittenberg, Pacific Gynecology & Obstetrics Medical Group, SFMS Member of the Month 0 Heidi Wittenberg, MD, is a board certified gynecologist who specializes in minimally invasive and alternative treatments for urogynecologic issues at Pacific Gynecology & Obstetrics Medical Group. She created the original Continence Center at California Pacific medical Center, and was the first physician to perform the da Vinci robotic sacrocolpopexy procedure for prolapse in San Francisco. Dr. Wittenberg is the child of a fighter pilot and an English midwife. She received her undergraduate education at UC Berkeley, a Masters in Physiology and her medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed her residency at Johns Hopkins. A SFMS member since 2003, Dr. Wittenberg is recognized locally and nationally for her commitment to improving women’s health. She is a recipient of the Congressional Unsung Heroes Award in 2010 for her dedication and volunteerism with Operation Access to provide essential surgical and specialty care to Bay Area’s underserved community. To view Dr. Wittenberg’s practice information, please click here. I am a SFMS member because SFMS is my only avenue outside of work to meet and collaborate with colleagues from different specialties. Being a member also has opened doors to meeting colleagues that expand my professional network (very important), and social network (also, very important). I think the most helpful SFMS member resource is the SFMS Membership Desktop Reference. It provides the complete membership directory organized by name and specialty. It's great to put a face to a name since the Desktop Reference has member photos. In this day and age, we don't tend to get out of the office as much to meet colleagues in hospital hallways or lunchrooms. My greatest achievement outside of practicing medicine is I was lucky enough to be a match for my husband and donated one of my kidneys to him. What are some of the biggest opportunities or challenges you see in health care within the next five years? I grew up in England where socialized medicine exists already as a 2 tiered system: public and private. This is the time to diversify yourself and be in a position to provide private or concierge service if you desire. I love practicing Urogynecology, female pelvic medicine, and reconstructive surgery. Everyone is a puzzle and I try to help solve that puzzle; whether it's with medication, physical therapy, neuromodulation or minimally invasive surgery. It's so great in this day and age with more tools emerging to help with my work. What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco? Wow, there are many choices but my favorite is Blackwood Thai on Chestnut Street. Niki, an awesome hostess/ waitress will guide you through an awesome menu including Millionaire's Bacon as an appetizer or over ice cream as a dessert. If I wasn't a physician, I would like to be a veterinarian. Since I grew up in England and read James Herriot books like All Creatures Great and Small, I had dreamed of being in a little Mini cruising through country roads with stonewalls, helping the local farmers with their foaling during a cold night in a barn. Comments are closed.
