Emma K. Willits (20 September 1869 – 9 April 1965) was a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

surgeon In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...

who played an important role in the development of Children's Hospital in

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(now the California campus omen and Children's Centerof the

California Pacific Medical Center Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) is a general medical/surgical and teaching hospital in San Francisco, California. It was created by a merger of some of the city's longest established hospitals and currently operates three ...

), serving as the head of the Department of General Surgery from 1921 to 1934. She is believed to be the third woman to specialize in surgery in the

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, and the first to head a surgery department.

Biography

Willits was born in

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and was educated at

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schools. In 1892 she moved to

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to enroll in the Women's Medical College of Chicago, then affiliated with (and later absorbed by)

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. After receiving her medical degree in 1896, she served her internship at the Women's Hospital of Chicago. In 1897, Willits moved to

as a resident at the Children's Hospital (for Women and Children). When she completed her residency in 1900, she opened her own private practice but maintained her affiliation with Children's. She was initially a member of the surgical staff of the Department of Pediatrics, and later became chief of the Department of Surgical Diseases of Children. In 1921 she became the chair of the Department of General Surgery, a position she held until 1934 when she stepped down but continued to serve as a consulting physician and surgeon. She is believed to be the first woman in the United States to head a surgery department. Over the course of her career, she visited the

Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...

several times and spent several months studying in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in 1923. She also maintained a private practice as a family doctor, retiring in 1941. Willits' house in Palo Alto, constructed in 1926–27, was designed by architect Lionel H. Pries.

Personal life

Willits was lesbian and throughout her adult life lived with her partner, Elizabeth Ristine. She lived quietly in San Francisco until her death at age 95.

Biography

Personal life

References

Further reading