What My Colleagues Say | ditaobler-final

Audra R. Meadows, MD MPH

Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital

"Dita Obler provides a unique, caring, and compassionate approach to supporting women with a complex medical condition. Her expertise in medical genetics and counseling is an invaluable resource as she offers practical advice and tools for personal empowerment."

Susan Fernandes, LPD, PA-C,

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Divisions of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine

"Ms. Obler is the most compassionate, supportive, and knowledgeable genetic counselor I have worked with. It is without hesitation that I recommend her to not only my patients but also my family and friends."

Jonathan Picker, MBChB, PhD

Departments of Genetics and Child Psychiatry,

Director Fragile X Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

"I have had the good fortune to have been a colleague of Dita's for over 15 years. In that time I have been struck by a number of qualities: her care, compassion and commitment to her patients; her knowledge and experience in genetic counseling; and her ability to get things done. Dita's experience at the center of the Boston healthcare world has equipped her to navigate the myriad options to focus on getting what her patients need. Speaking personally, if a friend or family member of mine was being cared for by Dita Obler, I would be reassured knowing they were in safe, caring hands."

What My Colleagues Say...

E. Denise Simmons

Mayor of Cambridge

"I have known Dita, both professionally and personally, for 15 years, and throughout that time I have been struck by her knowledge, her passion for her work, and her commitment to bettering the lives of people by helping to empower them. Dita has continually sought new methods of getting information to people in the ways in which they can actively engage with and understand this information. Dita understands that knowledge is power, and that people often find strength through community, and she has spent her career working to ensure that individuals – particularly women of color – are empowered by having greater access to information about their healthcare, about how to better advocate for themselves, and about how to fortify one another through shared experiences. The work Dita continues to engage in is creating meaningful, positive ripple effects for countless individuals not just in Cambridge, but across Massachusetts and indeed the entire country."

Amy E. Roberts, MD

Cardiovascular Genetics, Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital

"Ms. Obler is an experienced, compassionate and thoughtful genetic counselor who takes a family focused approach with all of her patients."

"Dita Obler has extraordinary vision for women's health and has organized an extremely effective network of providers and consumers to encourage bidirectional learning for women of color."

Cheryl Clark, MD, ScD

Director, Health Equity Research & Intervention

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Hospitalist, Brigham and Women’s-Faulkner Hospitals

"I have known Ms. Obler professionally for many, many years and have been impressed by her commitment to her patients. Her driving mission is to ensure that individuals/families are informed and empowered, that their values are respected, and that their voice is heard. She is particularly adept at navigating situations that are both medically and emotionally complex and in building bridges between them and their medical providers. She works to create an experience in healthcare that is a true family-centered team effort. I feel comfortable referring patients to Ms. Obler because I know she is the best of the best.

In addition, having worked closely with Dita to launch an innovative grassroots social justice health model and program, I have found Dita to be a powerful and flexible leader, strategic and creative thinker, strong team builder, committed team player, and reliable and trustworthy ally in the promotion of social and health equity. She brings an important and diversified leadership toolset to any project or program development endeavor."

Dr. Robin Reed, MD

Tufts University School of Medicine, Principal Faculty

Assistant Professor, PA Program

"Having worked professionally with Dita for more than 15 years, I can unequivocally endorse her as a wise, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable caregiver, particularly for those navigating complex conditions or an uncertain future. Dita has the rare capacity to comprehend exhaustive scientific detail, while always considering the impact of known or potential genetic diagnoses on those affected. Dita has proven herself to be a uniquely equipped counselor in a field where her honest, healthy human perspective can be invaluable.”

Leslie Smoot, MD

Departments of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Cardiovascular Genetics and Heart Transplant Programs

Boston Children's Hospital

Keri Griffin, PhD, MPH, MPA, MCHES

Associate Professor of Public Health

Director, Bachelor of Science in Public Health Program

School of Arts and Sciences, MCPHS University

"Dita has been a wonderful partner in our efforts to create informative and engaging programming as a part of the Community Conversations: Sister to Sister Women's Health Initiative. Her use of data-driven tools and evidence-based practices underscores the confidence that can be placed in her ability to effectively prioritize programmatic needs. She truly has a vision for moving concepts from their theoretical and explorative phase to operational existence. It has been a pleasure partnering with her as she continues her work as a co-founder of the Initiative.