Obituary: Felicia Stewart, expert on women's health issues
By Robert D. Dávila -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B6
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart, a former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist who was a national authority on women's health and a leader in efforts to increase access to emergency contraception, has died of lung cancer. She was 63.
Dr. Stewart died April 13 in her home in San Carlos, where she lived since 1996 after serving in the Clinton administration as the top U.S. official for family planning and population issues. She went to Washington, D.C., after 21 years in Sacramento, where she co-owned a clinical practice that introduced new childbirth concepts, including using midwives and nurse practitioners, and served as a medical director of Planned Parenthood.
She was widely recognized as a forceful advocate for an emergency contraceptive that woman could take after sexual intercourse to prevent unintended pregnancy. Her research played a key role in showing the "morning-after pill" - known as Plan B - could be used safely and helped pave the way for it to become available without a prescription in California and other states. Federal regulators are considering whether to make Plan B available without prescription nationwide.
"Felicia was at the forefront of keeping up with contraceptive technologies," said Dr. Art McCausland, a clinical obstetrics/gynecology professor at the UC Davis Medical Center. "She had an influence locally, nationally and internationally in making sure that women always had it available to them for family planning."
An outspoken feminist, Dr. Stewart championed women's rights to be informed about their health needs and to make independent decisions about their bodies. She told The Bee that she began a mission to spread the word about contraception as a medical intern, when two women died in her arms after receiving illegal abortions.
"I've always been the type to get involved," she said in 1993. "I couldn't be one of those doctors that just handed out pills."
Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated from Harvard University Medical School in 1969. She interned in Cambridge, Mass., before starting her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco Medical Center, where she met and married another doctor, the late Gary K. Stewart.
The couple started a practice in Sacramento in 1973. They opened an early fertility clinic to help couples conceive and led efforts to make childbirth kinder and gentler, moving pregnant women from surgical delivery rooms to more comfortable birth centers and letting family members be present.
In addition, the couple educated patients about family planning and contraception, performed vasectomies and abortions, and became outspoken advocates for reproductive rights. They also led a successful legislative effort to let qualified midwives and nurse practitioners deliver children and perform abortions in California.
Drawing on her clinical experiences, Dr. Stewart launched her campaign for an emergency contraceptive for women. She spoke at conferences, wrote articles and authored popular books about women's health and contraceptive technology.
"She was a tremendous public policy speaker and an outstanding physician," said Thomas Kring, former executive director of Planned Parenthood who succeeded her in the Clinton administration. "She saw the tragedy of unintended pregnancies and abortions and knew that if there were a simple way to prevent it, that would be far better."
Dr. Stewart also served as medical research director for Sutter Medical Foundation before her 1994 appointment as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After leaving Washington, she served as director of reproductive health programs at Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park before becoming co-director of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy at UC San Francisco.
"Felicia was in the trenches at the clinics, and she knew what policy did to women's lives in a practical way that many other people did not," longtime friend Ann Reed said. "She taught a generation of American women and women around the world how to learn about their bodies and make decisions about their care for themselves."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart
Born: March 14, 1943
Died: April 13, 2006
Remembered for: Former Clinton administration official and national expert on women's health issues; forceful advocate for increased access to emergency contraceptive; former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist
Survived by: Daughter, Kathryn Stewart of San Carlos; son, Matthew Stewart of San Carlos; stepdaughter, Tammy Barlow of Sacramento; stepsons, Michael Stewart and Wayne Stewart of Utah; parents, Lena and Harold Hance of Palo Alto; brother, Allan Hance of Paris
Memorial services: Pending Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Stewart's name to any of the reproductive health organizations she supported
About the writer:
The Bee's Robert D. Dávila can be reached at (916) 321-1077 or [email protected].
By Robert D. Dávila -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B6
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart, a former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist who was a national authority on women's health and a leader in efforts to increase access to emergency contraception, has died of lung cancer. She was 63.
Dr. Stewart died April 13 in her home in San Carlos, where she lived since 1996 after serving in the Clinton administration as the top U.S. official for family planning and population issues. She went to Washington, D.C., after 21 years in Sacramento, where she co-owned a clinical practice that introduced new childbirth concepts, including using midwives and nurse practitioners, and served as a medical director of Planned Parenthood.
She was widely recognized as a forceful advocate for an emergency contraceptive that woman could take after sexual intercourse to prevent unintended pregnancy. Her research played a key role in showing the "morning-after pill" - known as Plan B - could be used safely and helped pave the way for it to become available without a prescription in California and other states. Federal regulators are considering whether to make Plan B available without prescription nationwide.
"Felicia was at the forefront of keeping up with contraceptive technologies," said Dr. Art McCausland, a clinical obstetrics/gynecology professor at the UC Davis Medical Center. "She had an influence locally, nationally and internationally in making sure that women always had it available to them for family planning."
An outspoken feminist, Dr. Stewart championed women's rights to be informed about their health needs and to make independent decisions about their bodies. She told The Bee that she began a mission to spread the word about contraception as a medical intern, when two women died in her arms after receiving illegal abortions.
"I've always been the type to get involved," she said in 1993. "I couldn't be one of those doctors that just handed out pills."
Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated from Harvard University Medical School in 1969. She interned in Cambridge, Mass., before starting her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco Medical Center, where she met and married another doctor, the late Gary K. Stewart.
The couple started a practice in Sacramento in 1973. They opened an early fertility clinic to help couples conceive and led efforts to make childbirth kinder and gentler, moving pregnant women from surgical delivery rooms to more comfortable birth centers and letting family members be present.
In addition, the couple educated patients about family planning and contraception, performed vasectomies and abortions, and became outspoken advocates for reproductive rights. They also led a successful legislative effort to let qualified midwives and nurse practitioners deliver children and perform abortions in California.
Drawing on her clinical experiences, Dr. Stewart launched her campaign for an emergency contraceptive for women. She spoke at conferences, wrote articles and authored popular books about women's health and contraceptive technology.
"She was a tremendous public policy speaker and an outstanding physician," said Thomas Kring, former executive director of Planned Parenthood who succeeded her in the Clinton administration. "She saw the tragedy of unintended pregnancies and abortions and knew that if there were a simple way to prevent it, that would be far better."
Dr. Stewart also served as medical research director for Sutter Medical Foundation before her 1994 appointment as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After leaving Washington, she served as director of reproductive health programs at Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park before becoming co-director of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy at UC San Francisco.
"Felicia was in the trenches at the clinics, and she knew what policy did to women's lives in a practical way that many other people did not," longtime friend Ann Reed said. "She taught a generation of American women and women around the world how to learn about their bodies and make decisions about their care for themselves."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart
Born: March 14, 1943
Died: April 13, 2006
Remembered for: Former Clinton administration official and national expert on women's health issues; forceful advocate for increased access to emergency contraceptive; former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist
Survived by: Daughter, Kathryn Stewart of San Carlos; son, Matthew Stewart of San Carlos; stepdaughter, Tammy Barlow of Sacramento; stepsons, Michael Stewart and Wayne Stewart of Utah; parents, Lena and Harold Hance of Palo Alto; brother, Allan Hance of Paris
Memorial services: Pending Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Stewart's name to any of the reproductive health organizations she supported
About the writer:
The Bee's Robert D. Dávila can be reached at (916) 321-1077 or [email protected].
Obituary: Felicia Stewart, expert on women's health issues
By Robert D. Dávila -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B6
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart, a former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist who was a national authority on women's health and a leader in efforts to increase access to emergency contraception, has died of lung cancer. She was 63.
Dr. Stewart died April 13 in her home in San Carlos, where she lived since 1996 after serving in the Clinton administration as the top U.S. official for family planning and population issues. She went to Washington, D.C., after 21 years in Sacramento, where she co-owned a clinical practice that introduced new childbirth concepts, including using midwives and nurse practitioners, and served as a medical director of Planned Parenthood.
She was widely recognized as a forceful advocate for an emergency contraceptive that woman could take after sexual intercourse to prevent unintended pregnancy. Her research played a key role in showing the "morning-after pill" - known as Plan B - could be used safely and helped pave the way for it to become available without a prescription in California and other states. Federal regulators are considering whether to make Plan B available without prescription nationwide.
"Felicia was at the forefront of keeping up with contraceptive technologies," said Dr. Art McCausland, a clinical obstetrics/gynecology professor at the UC Davis Medical Center. "She had an influence locally, nationally and internationally in making sure that women always had it available to them for family planning."
An outspoken feminist, Dr. Stewart championed women's rights to be informed about their health needs and to make independent decisions about their bodies. She told The Bee that she began a mission to spread the word about contraception as a medical intern, when two women died in her arms after receiving illegal abortions.
"I've always been the type to get involved," she said in 1993. "I couldn't be one of those doctors that just handed out pills."
Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated from Harvard University Medical School in 1969. She interned in Cambridge, Mass., before starting her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco Medical Center, where she met and married another doctor, the late Gary K. Stewart.
The couple started a practice in Sacramento in 1973. They opened an early fertility clinic to help couples conceive and led efforts to make childbirth kinder and gentler, moving pregnant women from surgical delivery rooms to more comfortable birth centers and letting family members be present.
In addition, the couple educated patients about family planning and contraception, performed vasectomies and abortions, and became outspoken advocates for reproductive rights. They also led a successful legislative effort to let qualified midwives and nurse practitioners deliver children and perform abortions in California.
Drawing on her clinical experiences, Dr. Stewart launched her campaign for an emergency contraceptive for women. She spoke at conferences, wrote articles and authored popular books about women's health and contraceptive technology.
"She was a tremendous public policy speaker and an outstanding physician," said Thomas Kring, former executive director of Planned Parenthood who succeeded her in the Clinton administration. "She saw the tragedy of unintended pregnancies and abortions and knew that if there were a simple way to prevent it, that would be far better."
Dr. Stewart also served as medical research director for Sutter Medical Foundation before her 1994 appointment as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After leaving Washington, she served as director of reproductive health programs at Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park before becoming co-director of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy at UC San Francisco.
"Felicia was in the trenches at the clinics, and she knew what policy did to women's lives in a practical way that many other people did not," longtime friend Ann Reed said. "She taught a generation of American women and women around the world how to learn about their bodies and make decisions about their care for themselves."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart
Born: March 14, 1943
Died: April 13, 2006
Remembered for: Former Clinton administration official and national expert on women's health issues; forceful advocate for increased access to emergency contraceptive; former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist
Survived by: Daughter, Kathryn Stewart of San Carlos; son, Matthew Stewart of San Carlos; stepdaughter, Tammy Barlow of Sacramento; stepsons, Michael Stewart and Wayne Stewart of Utah; parents, Lena and Harold Hance of Palo Alto; brother, Allan Hance of Paris
Memorial services: Pending Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Stewart's name to any of the reproductive health organizations she supported
About the writer:
The Bee's Robert D. Dávila can be reached at (916) 321-1077 or [email protected].
By Robert D. Dávila -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
Story appeared in Metro section, Page B6
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart, a former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist who was a national authority on women's health and a leader in efforts to increase access to emergency contraception, has died of lung cancer. She was 63.
Dr. Stewart died April 13 in her home in San Carlos, where she lived since 1996 after serving in the Clinton administration as the top U.S. official for family planning and population issues. She went to Washington, D.C., after 21 years in Sacramento, where she co-owned a clinical practice that introduced new childbirth concepts, including using midwives and nurse practitioners, and served as a medical director of Planned Parenthood.
She was widely recognized as a forceful advocate for an emergency contraceptive that woman could take after sexual intercourse to prevent unintended pregnancy. Her research played a key role in showing the "morning-after pill" - known as Plan B - could be used safely and helped pave the way for it to become available without a prescription in California and other states. Federal regulators are considering whether to make Plan B available without prescription nationwide.
"Felicia was at the forefront of keeping up with contraceptive technologies," said Dr. Art McCausland, a clinical obstetrics/gynecology professor at the UC Davis Medical Center. "She had an influence locally, nationally and internationally in making sure that women always had it available to them for family planning."
An outspoken feminist, Dr. Stewart championed women's rights to be informed about their health needs and to make independent decisions about their bodies. She told The Bee that she began a mission to spread the word about contraception as a medical intern, when two women died in her arms after receiving illegal abortions.
"I've always been the type to get involved," she said in 1993. "I couldn't be one of those doctors that just handed out pills."
Born in 1943 in Washington, D.C., she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated from Harvard University Medical School in 1969. She interned in Cambridge, Mass., before starting her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at UC San Francisco Medical Center, where she met and married another doctor, the late Gary K. Stewart.
The couple started a practice in Sacramento in 1973. They opened an early fertility clinic to help couples conceive and led efforts to make childbirth kinder and gentler, moving pregnant women from surgical delivery rooms to more comfortable birth centers and letting family members be present.
In addition, the couple educated patients about family planning and contraception, performed vasectomies and abortions, and became outspoken advocates for reproductive rights. They also led a successful legislative effort to let qualified midwives and nurse practitioners deliver children and perform abortions in California.
Drawing on her clinical experiences, Dr. Stewart launched her campaign for an emergency contraceptive for women. She spoke at conferences, wrote articles and authored popular books about women's health and contraceptive technology.
"She was a tremendous public policy speaker and an outstanding physician," said Thomas Kring, former executive director of Planned Parenthood who succeeded her in the Clinton administration. "She saw the tragedy of unintended pregnancies and abortions and knew that if there were a simple way to prevent it, that would be far better."
Dr. Stewart also served as medical research director for Sutter Medical Foundation before her 1994 appointment as deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After leaving Washington, she served as director of reproductive health programs at Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park before becoming co-director of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy at UC San Francisco.
"Felicia was in the trenches at the clinics, and she knew what policy did to women's lives in a practical way that many other people did not," longtime friend Ann Reed said. "She taught a generation of American women and women around the world how to learn about their bodies and make decisions about their care for themselves."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Felicia Hance Stewart
Born: March 14, 1943
Died: April 13, 2006
Remembered for: Former Clinton administration official and national expert on women's health issues; forceful advocate for increased access to emergency contraceptive; former Sacramento obstetrician and gynecologist
Survived by: Daughter, Kathryn Stewart of San Carlos; son, Matthew Stewart of San Carlos; stepdaughter, Tammy Barlow of Sacramento; stepsons, Michael Stewart and Wayne Stewart of Utah; parents, Lena and Harold Hance of Palo Alto; brother, Allan Hance of Paris
Memorial services: Pending Remembrances: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dr. Stewart's name to any of the reproductive health organizations she supported
About the writer:
The Bee's Robert D. Dávila can be reached at (916) 321-1077 or [email protected].
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