Reimagining Care: Libby Ellinas, MD

Hello! I’m Libby and I am the director of the Center for Advancement of Women in Science and Medicine (AWSM) and a professor of anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Both my administrative and clinical roles have had to adapt to the global pandemic.

At the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Birth Center, babies continue to be born, and moms need epidural anesthesia and anesthesia for cesarean delivery, COVID-19 or no COVID-19! The labor and delivery team of anesthesiologists, nurses and OBGYNs is concerned for the health of moms and babies, but because young people (moms included) are often asymptomatic when they have coronavirus, we are also especially concerned for the health of our team members. Still, we have adapted rigorous protocols to keep everyone safe and continue to happily welcome new life into the world every day!

The Center for the Advancement of Women in Science and Medicine team feels part of the front line as well, as we continue to consider the pandemic’s effects on women at MCW and beyond. We are mindful that women comprise most of the nursing and a large portion of the physician workforce while also, whether clinical or not, providing for families and extended families and homeschooling children during quarantine. The AWSM team supports women in their careers as they navigate gender gaps during the pandemic, working toward an MCW in which all genders thrive.