Significant social and economic disparities persist in women’s health and health care. Reducing these disparities in health and health care should be a priority for all obstetrician gynecologists. Dr. Norma Waite, OBGYN is on the front line of this crisis. She understands the role that practitioner bias can play in health outcomes and health care. Her mission is to educate patients in a culturally sensitive manner about steps they can take to prevent disease conditions that are prevalent in their social and economic groups. These steps include such simple things as annual checkups to detect problems and following the recommendations of the doctor. In addition, she wants to be a role model supporting and assisting in the recruitment of obstetrician-gynecologists and other health care providers from young women into academic and community health care field.
She does not do a lot of public speaking, preferring to meet women one-to-one regarding their individual health concerns. Her practice supports many community health fairs run by churches, in addition to back-to-school physicals for children. For those that know Dr. Waite, all of this is no surprise. She has always wanted to be a doctor. She felt that it was a calling on her life. As the eldest of seven children from Kingston Jamaica, she played hospital with her younger sister, and she was always the doctor and her sister the nurse and that is exactly the direction that their lives took. Norma Waite was raised in a very strict environment by her mother, who was the minister of their church and her father, the deacon who was also a police officer.
Her world revolved around study, church and family. Education is expected to confer social mobility on individuals. Many Caribbean students are expected to move through the different levels of education in order to obtain professional occupations in the field of their choice, and Norma Waite was no exception. She z completed high school in Jamaica and o went to college at Howard University earning a BSCI Degree in Chemistry. She continued at Howard becoming a Doctor of Medicine. Even though she thought that pediatrics was her destiny, she found that during clinical rotation in medical school, that OBGYN would become her specialization. Because of the warmer weather and to be close to Jamaica, she established her private practice in Ft. Lauderdale first and then moved to the current location in Orlando.
Norma Waite, M.D. 407.363.9499 – 6000 Turkey Lake Road, Suite 112 Orlando, FL 32819 |
Dr. Waite sights the long hours and balancing family/work as the most challenging aspects of running her own practice. As a wife, mother of 3, and grandmother of 2 she wants to be a superhero to her family. She loves music, attending concerts, comedy shows and traveling to all of the Caribbean Islands and Europe. But she wanted the focus not to be on her, butsomething that was importantto her, the Carmen Taylor Scholarship Awards for Excellence Program. Reverend Carmen Taylor, mother to Dr. Waite, established the Trench Town New Testament Church of God as instructed by the Holy Spirit. In recognition of their founding Pastor, and her tremendous contribution to the growth and development of the Trench Town community throughout her 36 years of ministry, the Carmen Taylor Awards for Excellence scholarship was established in September 1993.
The scholarship fund provides 2 scholarships, one ear-marked for a child from the community and the other for a child whose parents are members of the church. The award covers the full tuition cost for each awardee for a period of 5 years and is renewable every year based on the students maintaining a minimum grade of B average in their academic performance. In addition, there are additional grants that are offered. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the Carmen Taylor Award for Excellence Scholarship Program and to date over 600 students have benefitted from the program. There is one thing that Dr. Waite wanted to share, and she provided IBA Success with an exclusive.
In advance of the official announcement, her private practice will be expanding. She realized that through her practice, there were hormone changes in her elderly patients. She was aware that studies have shown optimized hormones are necessary for good health. Hormone pellets are placed under the skin and release bioidentical estradiol and testosterone consistently into the bloodstream. This is the perfect balance of nature with extraordinary benefits. Optimized hormones are changing the lives of women and men also. Patients can age healthier and happier.
When asked for last words to inspire readers, Dr. Norma Waite indicated that people should have a dream that turns into a goal. Do not be distressed if life is not going perfect. Stay focused! Situations may change! The main thing is to prioritize education as she and her family have done for many years!
By Laura Dorsey