Breast Cancer Awareness Month Highlights the Importance of Preventive Care and Trusted Relationships

As women across the country recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Dr. Lorraine Dodson hopes the conversation extends beyond pink ribbons and mammograms to something equally important: building a relationship with a healthcare provider who listens.

Since relaunching a gynecology clinic at Community Hospital-Fairfax, Dr. Dodson has made it her mission to provide women’s healthcare often difficult to find in rural communities, while creating an environment where patients feel comfortable discussing concerns that are sometimes hard to talk about.

“I want women to know that I’m here to listen,” Dr. Dodson said. “I want to hear their concerns and help them. That’s always been the most important part of my job.”

For Dr. Dodson, that philosophy has guided more than 30 years in obstetrics and gynecology.

Caring for Women Through Every Stage of Life

When Dr. Dodson was in medical school, she found herself drawn to both surgery and women’s healthcare. Obstetrics and gynecology offered the perfect combination of the two.

But what keeps her passionate about medicine decades later isn’t the procedures or technology. It’s the relationships. “I love the long-term follow-ups and the relationships I am able to have with my patients,” she said. “I have patients that I helped deliver three children for, and I still see them every year. It feels as though I’m a part of their family.”

Those lifelong connections are what she finds most rewarding about women’s healthcare. Few medical specialties allow physicians to care for patients through so many different stages of life, from adolescence and childbearing years to menopause and beyond. “Being able to follow women throughout their lives is a privilege,” she said. “It’s a great and rewarding profession.”

Why Community

Hospital-Fairfax?

After decades in practice, Dr. Dodson was attracted to Community Hospital – Fairfax because of its commitment to serving our rural community.

“There are so many underserved rural communities, especially when it comes to women’s health,” she said. “Being able to make someone’s life easier by providing services closer to home is incredibly important.”

She believes access is one of the greatest healthcare challenges facing women in rural America. As hospitals across the country continue to reduce or eliminate obstetrical and gynecological services, many women are forced to travel significant distances for routine care.

“Too many small hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units and OB/GYN services, and it’s created healthcare deserts,” she explained. “That makes it much more difficult for women to receive the care they need.”

At Community Hospital-Fairfax, she is working to help fill that gap. “The mission of this hospital is to provide extraordinary care close to home, and I really think we do that here,” she said. “We provide good care here.”

What excites her most about practicing at CH is simple. “Being able to serve women locally that otherwise may not receive OB/GYN care.”

Expanding OB/GYN Services at CH-F

Since arriving at CH-F, Dr. Dodson has already seen a need for specialized women’s healthcare services. “Women in the area have excellent primary care providers, but they many haven’t seen an OB/GYN in quite some time,” she said.

Her clinic treats a variety of common gynecological concerns, including abnormal bleeding, post-menopausal bleeding, pelvic pain, and contraception management.

In addition to office visits, she is expanding surgical options available locally. Patients can now receive procedures such as endometrial ablations, hysteroscopies, tubal sterilizations, and pelvic laparoscopies without traveling to larger cities.

“These are procedures that patients would usually need to travel to receive,” she said. “Providing them locally increases convenience and access for women in the area.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Starts with Screening

As October shines a spotlight on breast cancer awareness, Dr. Dodson hopes women take time to prioritize preventive care. “So many women put off getting a mammogram because they don’t feel any lumps or notice any symptoms,” she said.

But that is exactly why mammograms are so important.

“Mammograms are designed to catch breast cancer early, before a woman can feel it, see it, or even know it’s there. Breast cancer is very treatable when caught early, and mammograms are the best early detection screening we have.”

She encourages women to think of preventive care as an investment in themselves and their families. Along with mammograms, Dr. Dodson stresses the importance of staying current on what she calls the “big three” preventive screenings:

• Mammograms

• Pap smears

• Colonoscopies

These screenings can detect disease early, when treatment is often most effective.

A Doctor Who Understands

Outside the clinic, Dr. Dodson enjoys spending time outdoors. She and her husband, who is also a physician, live on a 60-acre farm where they maintain bird boxes and monitor nesting birds with cameras. At one point, they had as many as 50 bird boxes on the property.

She also enjoys gardening, walking, running, and playing disc golf. Most importantly, she enjoys spending time with her three grown children, who live close enough for regular family visits.

As a working mother who balanced a medical career with raising a family, she believes those experiences help her better understand her patients.

“Children, marriage, a job. It’s a lot to juggle,” she said. “It’s not always easy, but I truly empathize with my patients because I’ve lived many of the same experiences.”

Creating a Comfortable Environment

One of the biggest misconceptions Dr. Dodson encounters is that gynecological appointments have to be painful, uncomfortable, or embarrassing.

“There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said. “Women sometimes worry about discussing their health or coming in for an exam, especially if it’s been a while since they’ve seen a provider.”

Her goal is to make every patient feel comfortable, heard and respected. “I know how challenging it can be to see a new doctor. A gynecological exam can feel especially vulnerable when you’re meeting a provider for the first time,” she said. “First and foremost, I’m here to listen.”

That patient-centered approach is also what has kept her passionate about medicine for more than three decades. “I have the privilege of impacting women’s lives every day,” she said. “Helping my patients feel happy, healthier and more confident is incredibly rewarding.”

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds women to prioritize their health, Dr. Dodson hopes women throughout Fairfax and the surrounding communities remember one thing: quality women’s healthcare is available close to home, and it’s never too late to schedule the appointment you’ve been putting off.

After all, the first step is simply starting the conversation. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dodson, call the Community Hospital-Fairfax Outpatient Clinic at 660-686-2335.