From Doula to Doctor of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Joplin, MO – “I was a hospital volunteer at St. John Owasso, and I got wrangled into helping set up a childbirth class.” This class led to a career in obstetrics and gynecology for Dr. Jessica Windschitl, the newest member of the Freeman Health System family.

The class was led by a labor and delivery nurse and a doula educator. A doula is a woman typically without formal obstetric training who offers guidance and support to a pregnant woman during labor. “It’s a role I found fascinating, so I became a volunteer doula through medical school,” says Dr. Windschitl.

“I ended up shadowing an OB/GYN for an internship and fell in love with all of it. That boosted my drive to go to medical school specifically for obstetrics. Being a doula was very rewarding, though, and I still feel like that’s a big part of my deliveries and rapport with my patients,” says Dr. Windschitl.

Communication is key to her relationship with patients. Dr. Windschitl says her philosophy is “empowering patients to feel like they are making their own decisions. Good communication, counseling and education, and shared decision making are important to me.”

Positive relationships among partners in Freeman Ozark Obstetrics and Gynecology drew Dr. Windschitl to Freeman. “Knowing how that call group functions and how happy they are in their jobs and with Freeman was the biggest draw,” she says. “Being part of a solid call group and learning from someone who’s had so much experience and has spent their entire career here will be a big benefit.”

Dr. Windschitl, who is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, adds that Freeman’s location appealed to her, as well. “Having a location that is pretty close to family is really ideal also,” she says.

Certified in neonatal resuscitation, fetal monitoring and advanced life support in obstetrics, Dr. Windschitl is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Osteopathic Association. She received her medical license from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She met her fiancée, Dr. Megan Carlson, during her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio.

The couple will reunite when Dr. Carlson joins Freeman Health System in August. They have two dogs, who are boxers. Drs. Windschitl and Carlson are also involved in the boxer rescue in Oklahoma.