Doctor finds her calling while studying in Africa

BY CONNIE WIRTA

PHOTO BY DEREK MONTGOMERY PHOTOGRAPHY

With roots in Minnesota and medical training on four continents, Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Bard brings a unique perspective to her work as a new obstetrician and gynecologist at the Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic.

As a student at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. Bard took time to study in Sweden, India and Uganda. Her experiences taught her the many ways medicine is practiced around the world. She believes her patients here also benefit from her perspectives.

“I’m a much better listener, and it’s important to me that my patients share their stories,” said the 33-year-old physician. “I’m also more open-minded. I don’t prejudge. I meet my patients where they are and work to achieve their goals, not the goals I would have for them due to my background, experiences or my culture.”

Dr. Bard grew up in a family dedicated to serving others. Her father, the Rev. David Bard, served Methodist congregations around Minnesota, including the First United Methodist Church in Duluth for 11 years. Her mother, Julie, and her father grew up in Duluth so the family visited frequently. Her paternal grandmother, Carol Norling, still lives here.

Dr. Bard traces her interest in medicine to a skiing accident when she was 11. During a class trip, she fell and badly broke her hip. A lengthy recovery and multiple surgeries piqued her interest in how the human body works. She decided to pursue pre-med studies at the end of her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and later enrolled at the University of Minnesota’s Medical School in Minneapolis.

With her own health history, Dr. Bard first considered orthopedics and orthopedic surgery. She joined a medical mission to Haiti with an orthopedics mentor and realized she wanted to build longer relationships with her patients and provide more comprehensive care. “I saw that we could help by doing the surgeries in Haiti, but I knew how important therapy and recovery are in orthopedics,” she recalled.

Dr. Bard found her calling in obstetrics and gynecology as she studied and worked in the maternity ward at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. The hospital, which has the highest per capita rate of births in Uganda, averages 80 births a day.

“It’s a low-resource government hospital that didn’t always have the basics, like running water, so you learn to do without a lot,” Dr. Bard said. “You have to focus on what you can do to make labor and delivery better for women and their babies.”

Dr. Bard said she learned the importance of supporting patients. Because women labored in cramped maternity wards, they were not able to have families or friends with them. “I’d hold a woman’s hand and talk with her,” Dr. Bard recalled. “She may not have understood my language, but she understood, ‘I’m here for you.’ I could be a personal champion for that woman.”

Dr. Bard recognized a need for medical professionals and advocates for women’s health care. “What I like about obstetrics and gynecology is that you can train local professionals — nurse midwives, community nurses and lay midwives — and make a huge difference in outcomes for women and their babies,” the physician said of her work in other countries.

Being able to build strong relationships with patients is important to Dr. Bard. “With a pregnancy, I see a patient so frequently and I’m connecting with them at such a special time,” she said. “Pregnancy and birth are such personal experiences, and I get to partner with them.

“I get to see the joy of the birth of a baby, and that seems to make the world a little brighter place,” Dr. Bard said. “Why wouldn’t you want to bring more happiness into the world?”

Make An Appointment

Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Bard sees patients at the Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic and the Essentia Health-Virginia Clinic. To schedule an appointment in Duluth, call (218) 786-3800, and in Virginia, call (218) 748-7750. To see Dr. Bard’s full profile, visit EssentiaHealth.org and click on “Find a Medical Professional.”