MDNews - San Antonio

++++++++++++++++++++++ + +++ + COVER FEATURE U+++ ++++++++++++++++++++++ Returning to Help the Community AT SOUTHWEST GENERAL HOSPITAL, TWO OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY (OB/GYN)-TRAINED PHYSICIANS HAVE ESTABLISHED A PRACTICE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY GREW UP. N "We're unique in the sense that we only have female providers who are bilingual and truly committed to the community. We want our patients to feel at home, to feel comfortable. We take a tremendous amount of ownership and pride in this practice because this is our home. This is our backyard." — Nichole Van de Putte, M.D., OB/GYN at Southwest General Hospital 6 | San Antonio MD NEWS I MDNEWS.COM ICHOLE VAN DE Putte, M.D., and Leticia Vargas, M.D., M.B.A., OB/GYNs at Southwest General Hospital, have the unique ability to relate to patients because they understand where their patients come from. Growing up in the San Antonio area — Dr. Van de Putte was raised in the Westside neighborhood, and Dr. Vargas in Von Ormy — instilled a passion for the land and the people who populate San Antonio's southern reaches. To connect with patients, each physician excels at tapping her cultural and educational roots. "We work with a broad array of patients — some who come in from the country, some from the inner city, some who have no education and some who have Ph.D.s," Dr. Vargas says. "My communication style and personality adapt to their education levels, so any patient can hopefully feel comfortable with me." For Dr. Van de Putte, a personal experience with a particularly kind health care provider helped shape her outlook and professional demeanor. She was 13, taking her great-grandmother to the medical clinic at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for women's care, when problems in the bus line delayed them by 45 minutes. "This was a woman who was never late for anything," Dr. Van de Putte says. "She was poised, classy and always dressed to the nines. She was never late for an appointment and felt really bad about our tardiness." Dr. Van de Putte remembers pleading with the office staff to see her great-grandmother despite their late arrival, and a resident was kind enough to agree. The resident's kindness and accommodation profoundly affected the young girl, who later found herself on the other side of the situation. "Fifteen years later, working as a resident in the same building, seeing patients in the same office room and taking care of patients who are just like my greatgrandmother is a tremendous privilege," Dr. Van de Putte says. "It brings me a lot of joy to be in that environment." Enduring Collaboration While a resident, Dr. Van de Putte met Dr. Vargas and served as her intern. Their enduring collaboration enables Southwest General Hospital's OB/GYN department to offer comprehensive treatment options for their patients. For each obstetric or surgical case, the physicians consult one another to construct the most effective treatment plan.

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