Marlena Mattingly Masavage
Providing Quality Care to Women
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
Three hundred and eighty-five thousand … that is the number, give or take a few, of babies that are born every single day, according to the UN. That is a lot of babies, which also brings up the fact that a lot of women give birth, even if some of them have two babies in the same year or twins. Women who experience pregnancy and childbirth need support, whether in the form of a partner, a midwife, a doctor, a friend, or their mother. Women need good healthcare providers who care about them and what they are experiencing individually. Marlena Mattingly Masavage is one of those good healthcare providers.
Marlena was born and spent her childhood in South Florida. Her parents were originally from Kentucky and moved their family back there when Marlena was almost 13 years old. “Kentucky is home since my parents still live there. Home away from my new home!” Marlena was homeschooled from preschool through high school graduation.
She went to Belhaven College (now Belhaven University) in Jackson, Mississippi, majoring in Biology Pre-Med and minoring in Dance. Marlena had danced throughout her growing-up years, focusing on ballet and modern. She went back to Kentucky to go to medical school at the University of Kentucky and did her residency in Indianapolis, Indiana.
After her residency, she got her first job at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. Marlena knew she wanted to move somewhere warm and return to her Florida roots. She looked around the Southeast for where she would settle, and a job became available in Beaufort. Her mom came with her to explore the area, spending time in Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, and Charleston. The location was a huge selling point for Marlena. She loved the smaller town feel and the fact that the hospital was smaller.
Meanwhile, before ever meeting, Marlena’s now-husband also moved to Beaufort around the same time. They had been in Indiana at the same time, but their paths hadn’t crossed then. They met a month after Marlena started working at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he was a pharmacist, and they got married in 2018. “Most people do not move to Beaufort to meet their future spouse,” Marlena laughs.
Marlena did not grow up thinking that she would pursue a career in the medical field. She had spent her entire childhood and teen years focusing on her passion: dance. She was at the studio five days a week, starting around the time she was 10. “I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer. As a kid, no one takes you seriously when you say you want to be a ballerina, so I always said I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer.”
Marlena continued to dance through college but realized that dance was becoming more fun and less of a career option.
The first reason that Marlena started pursuing work in the medical field, specifically as an OB/GYN, was because several members of her family, including her sister, have dealt with and been diagnosed with endometriosis. Her sister was diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis when she was only 18 years old. Endometriosis is a disease that creates extreme pelvic pain and can cause problems with fertility. It is often either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leading to years of unbearable pain for women around the world.
This was what initially pushed Marlena toward Obstetrics and Gynecology. She also knew she wanted to work in a field where she could create long-lasting patient relationships. “I didn’t want to do something like anesthesia where the patients are sleeping!” replies Marlena. When she did her OB/GYN rotation, everything completely clicked into place for her. Long-lasting relationships, pregnancies, births, surgeries … are the perfect blend of everything. Marlena knew it was right for her. She is the first doctor in her family.
There are a lot of fun parts of her job, but Marlena says that delivering babies is a frequent favorite of hers, “especially when I’m allowed to get to know the patient beforehand.” It is special to be able to build a relationship with a patient from the beginning of their pregnancy and be with them to the delivery of their baby.
Marlena also enjoys the everyday stuff. “I get to change peoples’ lives by helping them make decisions, like getting on birth control to manage their cycles or doing surgeries to fix other issues. Even in the office, you can diagnose something important and just listen to them. Some patients who come in might have been rushed through or not diagnosed in previous OB/GYN appointments. I get the opportunity to take the time to listen to them, and it can be a big deal.” Marlena says that even the small things can be significant. “I had two patients tell me that after I did surgeries for them, they were able to go buy white pants for the first time.” It might seem small to some, but for those women, Marlena is truly changing their lives.
Many women are scared when they enter an OB/GYN office. It could be because they have heard horror stories from their friends. They could have had previous bad experiences with other nurses or doctors. It could be that they are unsure of what to expect. That is one reason it is essential to find a doctor you trust and are comfortable with. While our culture often turns to Instagram influencers to make decisions for us, they are not a substitute for having an actual medical professional to help you make decisions about your care. “Anyone can say anything online and not be fact-checked for it, but that doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you and your body,” states Marlena. There is a considerable distrust of doctors and medicine, which can make it easier to turn to someone online who seems safer. This is all the more reason to do your research and find a doctor nearby that you are comfortable with, someone you can trust to help make the best decisions for you and your health.
“Myself and other doctors went into the medical field because we want to help people. While medicine is evolving and things change over time, that won’t change for me. Patients do better when they know that you are listening to them and caring about them.”
It is an honor for Marlena to be able to take care of women. Often, in society and in different cultures, women are neither looked after nor prioritized, listened to, or cared for. Marlena is allowed to do all of those things on both a small and large scale. There are unique things that women experience: menstrual cycles to pregnancy and birth to breastfeeding and much more. Marlena can help these women through all stages of their lives, from teenage years to older women going through menopause. “It is a special experience to walk with women through these stages. I get to know them and learn about things that other people in their lives might never know about. It is a privilege as well as a big responsibility.”
If you are a young person interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, Marlena says that the most important thing is to make sure you are passionate about your selected career. The school is daunting. It is a lot of years of work, and the gratification is very delayed. “Talk to people in the field, try shadowing, make sure you are confident in pursuing it.” With hard work and with passion, you can do it.
Marlena is a mom herself to a 3-year-old son. She said that becoming a mom has made her a better provider, especially to her patients who are having children. She has a new level of empathy for women who have postpartum struggles and can offer more counsel now that she has experienced it all herself. It is reassuring for patients to know that their doctor knows what they are experiencing because she experienced it personally. “I can tell them that it is okay.”
If you are a woman looking for a doctor who will listen to and help you as you work through whatever situation you find yourself in, Dr. Marlena Mattingly Masavage is ready, willing, and waiting to see you.
