Dr Shevon Joseph has lost count of the number of babies she has delivered over the years. And although she has thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of her medical practice, Joseph is now choosing instead to focus on preparing women for pregnancy and offering comprehensive women’s health care.
“I worked at the Long Island Jewish Medical Centre in New York (now Northwell Health) for years. That hospital is known for delivering 78,000 babies a year.
"I delivered some of them and each one was a miracle, special, and rewarding. I know I can do it with my eyes closed, but I felt I needed to make a pivot and I no longer practise obstetrics.”
An American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certified physician, Joseph is the medical director and consultant physician at Azalea Health, a Woodbrook-based clinic that provides gynaecological healthcare and health education for women.
“At Azalea Health our goal is to empower and educate women about their sexual health and well-being,” Joseph told WMN.
She knows the importance of helping women understand their bodies all too well, having worked for over a decade in large urban healthcare centres abroad, providing care to minority and immigrant populations – experiences she describes as invaluable.
“I encountered women from all over the world – Mexico, China, Iraq, the West Indies… This high, fast-paced inner-city population instilled in me a certain level of confidence, because we were also dealing with issues like teen pregnancy, an active HIV population, abuse etc…I’ve treated female prisoners handcuffed to their beds, gunshot victims, you name it. Those experiences cannot be replaced.”
Now, she just wants to sit with women who come to her office and be able to explain what is happening, why and what they can do about it.
“I work strictly by appointments. I cannot do busy waiting rooms any more. I’ve grown weary of that.”
Joseph, 43, is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Before leaving TT to study abroad, she attended St Joseph’s Convent and Presentation College in San Fernando.
“That’s when Pres used to accept girls to do A-Levels,” she said.
Originally from Claxton Bay, Joseph said she grew up in family with four sisters and one brother.
“Six of us growing up in a house was total madness. It was noisy and fun. We were close in age so the lime would always be sweet. We are very close and from the minute I left TT to the time I came back, I’ve always had the support of my tribe. I had a childhood where even though I didn’t grow up rich, I didn’t feel poor.”
While in sixth form Joseph was accepted to Howard to do a combined bachelor’s and MD programme. She was one of a small group chosen to do eight years of study in six years. Because it was so intense, one condition was that they were not allowed to work while in the programme. But because her parents could not afford to pay for all her expenses, Joseph didn’t complete the programme and instead did a bachelor’s degree in biology.
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