Dr. Tanya Pasternack

ABOUT ME

Caring for women with reproductive-health concerns and offering them a safe place to share information when they are vulnerable, I feel, is a privilege. I have a general women’s health practice, but I’ve also become the clinic’s primary provider for a few sub-specialty patient groups. For one thing, I usually see our Spanish-speaking patients because I am fluent in Spanish, which I learned while serving with the Peace Corps in Honduras.

Medically, I’ve developed a focus on adolescent gynecology, working with girls as they begin menstruating and transition into their child-bearing years. I have patients who say, “That’s why I chose to have my daughter come see you.”

I grew up in the Bay Area in California, and my parents instilled in me the values of women’s empowerment. I was good at science in school and enjoyed working one-on-one with people. So, taking those things together, when I went into medicine, I decided to practice women’s health.

I feel strongly about doing my part to ensure health equity and help all women and girls get the care they need. Outside of Denali OB-GYN, I am the medical director of Planned Parenthood Alaska because I value nonprofit reproductive services and want to help ensure our community has high-quality healthcare available to all people regardless of their income level.

Advances in medical technology have done a lot of good for the patient experience, both lowering the cost and reducing recovery while also producing better outcomes. I utilize minimally invasive procedures, which require a very small incision through which I insert tiny instruments and a camera, to remedy a wide range of health issues. One of the big benefits of minimally invasive surgery is the patient is usually not required to stay overnight in a hospital.

An important part of providing good healthcare is open and honest communication in the doctor-patient relationship, so I make sure to give my patients time to express their concerns fully and not rush into a physical exam.

Patients come to me with a wide range of different experiences and backgrounds. I am well-versed in trauma-informed care, which means I make sure to identify and recognize if patients have sexual trauma or other abuse in her life or history, then work to understand how that could be affecting her health and, more important, what we – together – can do about it.

WHY SHOULD A PATIENT CHOOSE DENALI OB-GYN?

I had a patient the other day who had had three pregnancies at a different clinic. I asked, “Why did you switch to us?” She replied, “Because I wanted to have one doctor. I wanted to know who my doctor is. I didn’t like showing up and not knowing who my doctor would be.”

At Denali OB-GYN, we’re big on patient continuity. For prenatal visits, the patient will be able to see me for all her visits. Most other providers in town have a group-practice model, where a patient will come in and be seen by any one of the providers. She gets the benefit of meeting everyone but not forming a close relationship with one provider.

If you are a potential patient, you should know, at Denali OB-GYN, you will be heard. Any recommended interventions or treatments will be thoroughly explained to you. We focus on allowing patients to understand and be involved in the decision-making process and her care.

As I write this, I’m pregnant, and I believe in and trust the doctors at Denali OB-GYN that one of my colleagues is my obstetrician and will deliver my child. I would trust the medical skills of anyone in our group.