Media Contact: Tim Kershner, Director of Communications and Public Affairs
603-356-5461 ext. 2198
timothy.kershner@mainehealth.org
NORTH CONWAY, NH — Memorial Hospital’s newest pediatrician has some simple advice for new parents. “Babies don’t come with an instruction manual. Follow your baby’s lead. When your baby is hungry, feed it. When your baby is crying, soothe it. They’re going to be the boss. All I ask is that you love your baby.”
Dr. Kathryn Fekete comes to Memorial Hospital’s Mt. Washington Rural Health Primary Care by way of the United States Army, where she has been on active duty since 2015, most recently stationed at Fort Irwin, California. She has also served at bases or as part of humanitarian or mission trips in India, Cambodia, South Korea and Hawaii.
Kathryn Fekete knew medicine was in her future while attending American University, Washington, D.C. as an undergraduate, but did not pursue medical school immediately. Following graduation, she worked as a scribe in a Washington-area trauma center, transcribing physician notes and instructions into electronic medical records. Residents from Walter Reed Medical Center made frequent visits to the center.
“I have an interest in humanitarian medicine and mission trips to the developing world, and these residents were describing how the military provides opportunities to participate in humanitarian missions, to travel the world and visit different places. And the military residents were so kind. That’s the team I wanted to be on.”
Dr. Fekete graduated from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, receiving a military scholarship. She served an internship and residency in pediatrics at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Through the military and her church, she has participated in several medical mission trips in Hawaii and South Korea.
“This was a way to love my neighbor. I am hoping to have more opportunities for outreach. It might not be helping the homeless population and it may not be a mobile clinic but, hopefully, there will be opportunities for outreach in Conway.”
Coming to the Mt. Washington Valley is somewhat of a homecoming for Dr. Fekete. “I am from Connecticut and I’ve been away for a really long time. It’s time to come home. I miss my family. I’ve missed seeing my nieces grow up.”
She also looks forward to the closeness she will have with her patients. “I love meeting families in the delivery room, going to see their babies when they are just hours old and watching them grow up, watching the family grow, watching the parents grow in confidence and knowledge, watching the child become a healthy toddler.”
An army base, she says, has a similar feel to a small town. “I see my patients in church. I see my patients when I am out running. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at rashes in the grocery store. It shows that they trust me and my expertise and have put their trust in me to advise them.”
Call 603-356-5472 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Fekete or another primary care provider. Already a Memorial Hospital patient? Request an appointment through your MyChart account.
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About Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in North Conway, NH, and is a member of the MaineHealth family. Its hospital services include a 24-hour emergency department, surgery center, clinical laboratory, heart health & wellness programs, imaging services, cardiopulmonary care, family birthing center, oncology, chemotherapy and infusion services. Practices include primary care and family medicine, diabetes care, behavioral health, women's health, podiatry, orthopedics and physical therapy. Memorial Hospital is also home to The Merriman House nursing home, which provides senior care services in a comfortable, home-like setting. For more information, www.memorialhospitalnh.org or call 603-356-5461.