Women's Health | Bend Oregon | Baker Family Naturopathic

Services and Conditions:

Gynecology – women’s annual GYN exams, breast exams

Abnormal pap smear support – we follow the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) conventional pap guidelines, but often there are times when we “wait and watch” between pap smears or colposcopies, meaning nothing is actively being done. That’s where Naturopathic medicine steps in, to get HPV out and restore cervical cell health by using the body’s natural abilities to fight off virus and heal.

Hormone Balancing

Bioidentical Hormones

Breast Cancer

Pregnancy Support

Vaginal Health – infections, pain, vaginal dryness

Endometriosis

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Irregular periods

Hot Flashes

Menopause

Dr. Baker’s interest in women’s health began early on. She says, “I was the teen always asking questions and coaching my friends about birth control, abstinence, and safe sex practices.” In undergraduate, she studied feminism and cultural anthropology as part of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities. She volunteered at a local non-profit women’s health clinic, and later worked there part-time while finishing pre-med courses in Colorado, knowing she was heading for Naturopathic medical school to practice women’s healthcare with natural medicine.

While in undergraduate, she also studied abroad in Ecuador where she researched obstacles to birth control practices in a predominantly Catholic third world country. Dr. Baker volunteered there as well in a non-profit women’s clinic in a very underserved remote area. Later she incorporated her research into an honors thesis, and graduated magna cum laude from University of Colorado, Boulder in 1996.

In medical school at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Baker says, “I focused on women’s healthcare any chance I got.” She chose women’s health clinical rotations whenever possible, preceptored under women’s health experts Dr. Tori Hudson ND, Kimberly Windstar ND, and Heidi Peterson ND, and later worked for Portland’s well-known gynecologist Enrique DeCastro MD to better understand conventional approaches to women’s health. She also studied under Dr. Mary Barnhart MD breast surgeon, going in on surgeries and consults, as well as volunteering in her integrated breast cancer clinic offering naturopathic adjunctive care for those undergoing conventional cancer treatment.

Dr. Baker began her own private practice in 2002 and has been specializing in women’s health and hormones balance ever since.

Dr. Livengood took a circuitous route to Naturopathic medicine, working for several years in ecology and wildlife medicine prior to becoming a doctor. As she explains, “I was resistant to entering a human medicine profession as my immediate and extended family was made up of healthcare practitioners and I felt I needed to find my own path.” Her interest in medicine and love of people and their unique stories eventually caused her to reconsider. However, growing up immersed in the language of medicine and then studying and working in the natural world drove her to seek out a more holistic approach to practicing medicine. This is when she found the Naturopathic medical program at Bastyr University.

Dr. Livengood’s passion for women’s health become apparent early on in her studies. She saw how women’s health concerns often impact their whole person – physically, mentally and emotionally. This challenged Dr. Livengood to really look at a woman’s whole story when attempting to affect change in her body, similar to the work and mindset of an ecologist. She began specializing in women’s health, choosing women’s health clinical rotations and preceptorships to train under women’s healthcare specialists Dr. Jane Guiltinan, Dr. Laurie Cullen, Dr. Debra Brammer, and Dr. Eileen Stretch. She took an Advanced Gynecology course with Dr. Tori Hudson ND and volunteered at a rural clinic in Guatemala caring primarily for low income women. After completing her Naturopathic medical degree, she completed a 2-year residency at a Seattle primary care clinic focusing on women’s health and working closely with her mentor, Dr. Katherine Oldfield ND.

Women’s Health

Services and Conditions:

Dr. Emma Baker ND

Dr. Emily Livengood ND