“I truly enjoy working through complex medical issues with my patients, as well as the typical day-to-day health questions," she began.
Meet Dr. Caitlin Timmers, Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s newest provider.
From a young age, Caitlin Timmers had a passion for caring for others. She anticipated going into nursing and was working as a certified nursing assistant by the time she was 16. Later she would work closely with a physician assistant and told her father that she had decided on her future.
“I’m going to be a PA! And I get to assist in the OR!” she told him.
His response, knowing his daughter’s fascination with anatomy and all science-related subjects, was immediate: “Well, why don’t you just be the surgeon?”
“What a concept!” she said. “I had no real clue what I wanted to do exactly, but just like that it all made sense.”
Caitlin entered med school thinking she was going to be a trauma surgeon and felt that way for a long time. That is, right up until her final rotation, which happened to be OB/GYN.
“That’s when I found my people,” she said. “I found where I needed to be.”
The field satisfied her two passions: first, that she could do procedures, and second—more importantly—that she would be able to form relationships with patients.
Being an OB/GYN allows Caitlin to care for patients in all phases of life, from adolescents struggling with menstruation cycles, women of reproductive age requiring annual exams or obstetric care, and post-menopausal women dealing with a variety of concerns.
“I get to work with women and take care of them for their entire lives,” she said.
Caitlin relishes the development of deep relationships with her patients, who appreciate her wide-ranging expertise—which includes robotic surgery for complex cases—and her innate ability to create a warm and comfortable space where open conversations are the norm.
That begins with listening.
“I think it's really important to really listen to patients to get an idea of where they're coming from, to let them tell me what's going on, any factors that are contributing to their issue, how it's impacting their life, and what their goals are,” said Caitlin. “That’s how to start if you want to build a relationship. And that’s the most rewarding part of my profession.”
Caitlin shared something from her personal history that she said helped her greatly as a provider.
“I had a pretty major surgery in my early 20s, had complications from it, and had to stay in the hospital for a longer period of time than expected. That really put me in the patient's shoes and made me see just how difficult that can be, to not necessarily know the outcome, if I was ever going to be myself again, and what that may have looked like,” said Caitlin. “I understand how scary uncertainty can be, and I make sure my patients know I am there for them.”
Coming back to the area she called home (Caitlin is from Black Creek), Women’s Care of Wisconsin’s newest provider is hitting the ground running and is accepting new patients immediately.
“I feel so honored to be in this profession. Obstetrics and gynecology has allowed me to develop lasting relationships with women and assist them through some of the biggest milestones in their lives."
Dr. Caitlin Timmers sees patients at Women’s Care of
Wisconsin’s Appleton location.
