OPEN LETTER TO PATIENTS

Dear prospective patient,

I'm writing today to introduce myself as the new Medical Director of the Hawaii Reproductive Center . I feel proud to have joined the staff at the Hawaii Reproductive Center who for the last seven years have faithfully served the infertility needs of all Hawaiians. I am privileged to be a part of a team with a long history of excellence on the island.

Through the years the staff has developed a reputation for warm and personal care. Many people call the Hawaii Reproductive Center a “family”. My goals are to continue this style of successful and personalized care. Each patient will receive an individualized treatment plan tailored to their needs. Some couples may need just a few minutes of our time others may need more advanced infertility care. Either way I will be at your side supporting you. I am not only interested in the medical aspects of infertility but strongly believe in the social and psychological well being of my patients. To me it is more about each individual rather than having regimented protocols. This has been an exciting transition for me and a welcomed change from the world of University Medicine which I have been a part of for the last twenty years. The academic world as served me well, though, and I join the Hawaii Reproductive Center with the knowledge of the latest in scientific knowledge.

I have been enamored by the amazing vegetation in Hawaii, I am one of those few physicians that have a degree in Botany (the study of plants) spending hours upon hours collecting leaves and pressing and classifying them in Washington D.C. at the National Arboretum as an undergraduate student. I recently took a trip to the North Shore and “WOW” is all I can say about the Waimea Falls Park . One can only imagine how in ancient times, this was the most sacred site on the island. The Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Gardens brought me back full circle to the days when I had only dreamed of becoming a physician and that spending time with the plants and trees was the way that I started this quest. Now more than 20 years later I feel spiritually supported that Hawaii is my new home.

After romping with the trees in D.C, I stayed on and received my Medical Degree from George Washington University , then went to the big city which circles Central Park and fulfilled my residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City . I completed my fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California in San Diego overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Torrey Pines. While at UCSD I conducted research in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (athletic women without periods) and evaluated hormonal levels among women reaching menopause prematurely. In 1994, I accepted a teaching and clinical position at the University of New Mexico in the Department of Reproductive Medicine and became board certified in both Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and Obstetrics and Gynecology. In April of 2000, I was recruited to and joined the faculty at Emory University in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in Atlanta . At Emory I helped build the in vitro fertilization program into an international success. It has been a dream come true.

I am originally from Paraguay , South America and am fluent both in English and Spanish. I am crazy about good food, cooking, snorkeling and swimming. Throughout my medical career my interest has been in teaching and have received many teaching awards and have done many media medical informational videos and even reported on reproductive events for CNN. My scientific interests still lie in the field of hormones and in ovarian aging and I am still actively involved in the study of how environmental toxins disrupt the reproductive system including their affects on puberty, recurrent miscarriages, fertility and early menopause.

Practicing reproductive medicine is my lifelong dream. Helping couples conceive is the most rewarding gift that I can imagine. I will provide the quality of care that Hawaiians expect in an infertility specialist. I like to recommend moving swiftly through the diagnostic workup in order to help you start your family. I will offer not just medical guidance but a warm and supportive care giver who individualizes treatment to your needs. I value every opportunity to be of assistance in your infertility needs and am honored to be living in this paradise.

 

Sincerely,

Celia Esther Dominguez, MD, FACOG
June 9, 2008