Every month, Southern Crescent Women’s Healthcare features one of our team members on our blog. Meet SCWH Physician Tanya Beckford, MD, FACOG!
Dr. Tanya Beckford is a native of New York and has been practicing medicine in Georgia since 2008. She has an undergraduate degree from the Honors College at Stony Brook University and a medical degree from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, where she also completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and served as Clinical Assistant Professor. Dr. Beckford is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Tanya Beckford believes in involving her patients in their care and helping them make the best decisions for their lifestyle. She enjoys seeing women of all ages. A typical week for Dr. Beckford includes mentoring adolescents, delivering babies, and performing gynecological office procedures.
Something that you may not know about Dr. Beckford is that she is very avid about recycling and the environment. She has three children that have all been taught to reduce, reuse and recycle. One of her hobbies is playing in the dirt. There isn’t a plant without a home at Dr. Beckford’s house.
Dr. Beckford’s most memorable experience as a physician will always hold a place in her heart:
“My most memorable experience as a doctor happened one year ago. Our patient, Tia, called the office and spoke to the triage nurse because she was concerned about pain that was unusual for her. She was pregnant with her second baby and was worried about losing sick time to come in for an appointment. Luckily, Anna, the triage nurse encouraged her to come in and she scheduled her for an appointment the same day with one of the certified nurse midwives, Laura. After evaluating Tia, Laura was not comfortable with Tia’s discomfort, so she ordered an ultrasound. Luckily, Becky, our sonographer, was able to scan Tia immediately. Right away Becky noticed that the heartbeat was extremely slow. Laura, came to me and said, “Dr. Beckford we need you in ultrasound now.” Even though she said it very calmly, I knew she meant NOW. I too saw the baby’s slow heartbeat. Normally, fetal heartbeats are anywhere from 120-160 bpm, but Tia’s baby was beating around 80 beats per minute.
Knowing Tia needed an emergency cesarean delivery, we immediately called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, we called Piedmont Fayette Hospital Labor and Delivery as well as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) so they could coordinate preparations for the emergency c-section. Our Clinical Director, Maria Morrow, started oxygen and an IV on Tia. Talking to 911, we realized the ambulance was too far away, so we transferred Tia in a wheelchair to Labor and delivery ourselves. Luckily, our office is next door to the hospital. It had to be quite a scene, moving fast yet organized. Two of our medical assistants went with us, Maria was holding the IV bag in her hands over Tia’s head, and the oxygen tank was in the wheelchair with Tia. I was running ahead of them to get the hospital doors open and call the elevators. Tia remained calm. We arrived on L&D and rolled Tia straight to the operating room. Anesthesia and the NICU doctor, Dr. Embers were ready and waiting for Tia and her baby in the operating room.
A few minutes later, Tia delivered a healthy baby girl three months premature. Her placenta had spontaneously abrupted (separated from the uterus). We do not know why this happened, but we do know that most of the time these baby’s do not survive the sudden trauma.
During her postpartum appointment, I told Tia that her daughter, McKenzie, is a miracle and must have a guardian angel looking over her.
Tia then shared with me that her brother died several years ago when he was only 5 months old. Ever since his death, her mother would pray to him and put her hand over her heart. Tia has a tattoo on her chest that says, “hand over heart” in memory of her brother. At this point, the MA and I were in tears.
BUT the best part is when Tia showed me that McKenzie has a birthmark in the shape of a perfect heart on her right hand!
I’ve told Tia that she needs to tell her story, because it is miracle! It also shows us that we are all important, and even the small things that we do and say add up to a much bigger miracle that we may not always recognize. I told Anna, our triage nurse that it started with her when she just gave Tia that little bit of encouragement to come to the office.”
Dr. Beckford’s favorite quote is the mission statement at Southern Crescent Women’s Healthcare. At Southern Crescent, the goal is to serve patients throughout all phases of their lives in a warm, compassionate and nurturing manner, based on the teachings of Christ with a guiding principle found in Matthew 7:12: “So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”:
Here are some photos of Dr. Beckford’s garden!
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