Draft:Olga Stastny
Olga Stastny | |
|---|---|
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| Born | September 13, 1878 |
| Died | August 28, 1952 (aged 73) |
Olga Stastny (September 13, 1878 - August 28, 1952) was an American physician from Nebraska...
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Early life and education
[edit]Olga Stastny was born in Wilber, Nebraska, on September 13, 1878.[1] After the death of her husband, Dr. Charles Stastny, she enrolled at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1908 as a 28-year-old single mother of two. The institution admitted women "on an equal basis as men," and she graduated in 1913 while balancing motherhood and medical studies.[2]
World War I service
[edit]During World War I, Stastny sold liberty bonds and advocated for the National Council for Defense. She joined the American Women's Hospitals (AWH), a relief organization founded by the American Women’s Medical Association, and deployed to Luzancy, France, in 1918 with AWH Unit #1. As an anesthetist, she served for one year during post-war reconstruction efforts.[3] Her work exemplified the challenges faced by women physicians excluded from formal military medical roles.[4]
Post-war humanitarian work
[edit]Czechoslovakia and Greece
[edit]In 1920, Stastny relocated to Prague at the invitation of Alice Masarykova, daughter of Czechoslovakia’s president, to lead hygiene initiatives at the School of Social Service. Her surveys of nursing conditions led to the establishment of an American Red Cross nurse training station.[5] In 1922, she became medical director of the AWH quarantine station on Greece’s Macronissi Island, overseeing care for 12,295 Greek and Armenian refugees displaced after the Smyrna fire. Despite typhus outbreaks and logistical challenges, she enforced quarantine protocols and organized vaccinations, earning the Cross of St. George and other honors from the Greek government.[6]
Later career and legacy
[edit]Stastny returned to Omaha in 1924, establishing a private practice and joining the University of Nebraska College of Medicine faculty in 1925. She served as president of the Women’s National Medical Association in 1929 and attended the International Medical Women’s Conference in London that year.[7] By 1931, she became an instructor in obstetrics and gynecology, retiring in 1943.[8]
She died in Omaha on August 28, 1952, at the age of 73.[9] Her papers are held in collections documenting the American Medical Women’s Association’s history.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Andrews-Koryta, Stepanka (1987). "Dr. Olga Stastny, Her Service to Nebraska and the World" (PDF). Nebraska History. 68 (1): 20–27. PMID 11617800. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ^ "The life and work of Dr. Olga Stastny: A Nebraska doctor's global impact". University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2024-09-17.
- ^ "The life and work of Dr. Olga Stastny: A Nebraska doctor's global impact". University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2024-09-17.
- ^ "Dr. Olga Stastny (U.S Physician) - Greek Genocide Resource Center". Greek Genocide Resource Center. 2024-10-01.
- ^ "The life and work of Dr. Olga Stastny: A Nebraska doctor's global impact". University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2024-09-17.
- ^ "Dr. Olga Stastny (U.S Physician) - Greek Genocide Resource Center". Greek Genocide Resource Center. 2024-10-01.
- ^ "Stastny, Olga F., MD, 1929 - 1953". Drexel University Archives.
- ^ "The life and work of Dr. Olga Stastny: A Nebraska doctor's global impact". University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2024-09-17.
- ^ "Dr. Olga Stastny Dies in Omaha". Colfax County Call. Schuyler, Nebraska. 28 August 1952. p. 9. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
- ^ "Stastny, Olga Francis, M.D., 1953". Drexel University Archives.