Meet Dr. Rebecca Todd, an OB-GYN specialist at UK HealthCare who sees patients at UK Morehead Women’s Healthcare in Eastern Kentucky. Dr. Todd provides general gynecology and obstetrics care, including treatment for fibroids, abnormal bleeding and pelvic pain. She also performs vaginal deliveries and C-sections.
What other services do you provide?
One of my special interests is contraception, which is useful in both gynecology and obstetrics. We counsel patients on long-acting reversible contraception, including arm implants and intrauterine devices. We are one of the very few facilities out in Eastern Kentucky that provide those to patients.
When did you decide you wanted to be a doctor?
I always wanted to be a doctor. I never really changed my mind – physician was always my ultimate goal – but I was open to being any type of doctor. Once I got through medical school, I realized that OB-GYN was definitely the thing for me.
If I look back on how I grew up with my family – it just makes sense. My mom was one of nine sisters, so there were always women around in our family. It just makes sense that I would want to take care of women.
What do you enjoy most about working with your patients?
I love being able to answer patients’ questions and explain things. I have posters on the walls of all of my exam rooms, and I get out my little models. I show my patients anatomy, show them how contraceptive devices work or show them the surgery they’re going to have. It’s really satisfying to see that light come on in their eyes and all of a sudden understand what I’m doing to help them.
Describe your patient-care philosophy.
I want my patients to feel comfortable and to think of us as a partnership. I have medical expertise and training, but there are usually multiple avenues we can go down for treatment. My goal is to educate the patient and help them understand what’s going on and what their options are. I just want to be there for them – let them choose the way they want their medical care to proceed and then help them through that process.
Many of my patients rely on support and comments from their family. Things that happened to their mom, their grandma, their aunt or their cousin – those personal anecdotes and personal experiences – are very important. So, being able to relate to me as a woman and as a physician and tell them my experiences, it helps us work better together and have a better trust relationship.
Do you have a favorite food?
Anything that involves cheese and bread. If we’re doing French, it would be sliced cheese and baguette. Mexican would be queso and chips. Italian? Some spaghetti with parmesan.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My husband and I like to go hiking, we like to do anything outdoors. That’s part of the reason that we settled in Morehead. And we have two young children, so pretty much anything that involves toddlers would be a hobby of ours these days.
