Physician leader in women’s health named new ACOG president

Longtime Northwest Permanente physician leader in women’s health Stella Dantas, MD, FACOG, was sworn in as president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) at their 2024 Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting on May 19 in San Francisco. Dr. Dantas is ACOG’s 75th president and third woman in a row to lead the organization.

Dr. Dantas also serves as the medical director of graduate and undergraduate medical education at Northwest Permanente. Her extensive leadership experience includes roles as a clinic and hospital lead, recruiting committee member, and residency site director.

In her inaugural speech, Dr. Dantas emphasized the importance of fostering a supportive culture where obstetricians and gynecologists can prioritize their wellness and support one another. “Our field has a long road ahead,” she said. “But there is no community that is stronger or more driven by purpose. By supporting each other, we can overcome these challenges and continue to provide the highest quality of care to our patients.”

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 Dr. Dantas’ leadership in women’s health uniquely positions her to tackle the challenges that have contributed to the burnout epidemic in the ob-gyn specialty. She outlined her focus for the 2024-25 term, stressing the need to build connections and a team-based approach to care.

“If we care about each other, take time to cultivate those relationships, we can break down silos where people feel alone and inspire shared purpose. We can do that within our ACOG communities, we can do it at our institutions, we can do it at our small private practices, we can do it in our residency programs and in our medical schools,” she said.

With 60,000 members, ACOG is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing obstetric and gynecologic care. The organization promotes and maintains high standards for women’s health care by providing quality continuing education for its members and establishing patient care standards.

Register to hear Dr. Dantas speak on May 30

Register for our upcoming Permanente Docs Chat on Thursday, May 30, to hear more from Dr. Dantas on physician leadership, addressing burnout, and the future of women’s health.