IN BUSINESS
Dr. Elisa Sparkes By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times Photo By Drew Harmon
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r. Elisa Sparkes had thought she was preparing for a career in internal medicine before the opportunity arrived to help deliver a baby. That experience caused her to change career directions and is now a board certified OB/GYN who practices in Obstetrics and Gynecology at INTEGRIS Women’s Health Edmond locate at 4833 INTEGRIS Parkway Suite 200. “I was tracked to do internal medicine but I was able to help deliver a baby for the first time while doing my internship and it just clicked,” Sparkes said. “I was so excited. I realized it was something that I wanted to do the rest of my life.” Sparkes remembers calling her husband Justin who is an internal medicine physician at INTEGRIS Family Care Edmond East about her decision. “I called my husband and I said I knew what I wanted to do,” she said. “My husband said do you know the kind of lifestyle you are going to live? I told him I just can’t see myself doing anything else.” Sparkes started practicing medicine in 2006 and has since then delivered thousands of babies. “It feels like the good Lord put me here to do this,” she said. “I see patients from all ages and walks of life.” Sparkes said she is proud to be part of a great team at INTEGRIS. “I feel patient care should mirror that of the care I would desire for my own family,” she said. “Every time I help a mother deliver her baby, I feel privileged to be part of a very blessed event. The nursing staff is so supportive and they love what they do and they deliver the most amazing care of any facility I have been a part of.” That dedication to patient care hasn’t gone unnoticed. INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center and INTEGRIS Health Edmond have both received the 2016 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics. This evidence-based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best health care institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence, and what women say they want from a hospital. The list of over 400 award winners, including INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center and INTEGRIS Health Edmond, represents hospitals that offer exceptional obstetric services which ranked above the national average for patient safety,
thereby supporting a woman’s decision when choosing the best for her maternity needs. The America’s Best Hospitals for Obstetrics scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that is evidence-based and focuses on female patient satisfaction. INTEGRIS Health Edmond has also become a Level Two Care Nursery which allows it to care for neonates 33 weeks and above. Sparkes calls INTEGRIS a great place to work and says that enthusiasm starts at the top with Avilla Williams who serves as president of INTEGRIS Health Edmond. “Everyone comes to work with a smile on their face and you can feel that energy,” she said. “I think that starts with Avilla Williams from the start. She has always been supportive for our physicians and our staff members.” When she’s not busy caring for patients, Sparkes loves spending time with her family at the lake, shopping with my 11 year old daughter and traveling to new places. She lives in Edmond with her husband and their two children. “Justin and I from the start have wanted to work around each other from the time we met as medical students,” she said. “We are each other’s soul mates. Family is our priority. We support each other and respect each other.” Sparkes said patient care is more than just words to her. “I feel comfortable showing emotions,” she said. “I am not afraid to cry with my patients or hug my patients and provide them that support. We have to show them empathy and that we care.”
March 2016 | The Business Times
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