PROFILE IN MEDICINE n HEALTH & WEALTH
S
ignificant 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, OB-
GYN 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
completed high school in Jamaica and
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.
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, but something that was important to
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 25 th
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!
Norma Waite, M.D.
407.363.9499
6000 Turkey Lake Road, Suite 112
Orlando, FL 32819
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