Specialty: Colon and rectal surgery
Title: Colon and Rectal Surgeon
Hospital: White Plains Hospital
Dr. Kimberly Yee has not been afraid to go where other physicians won’t. She specializes in treating bowel, rectal, and anal disorders, a subject many patients might be reulctant to discuss but which is just as vital as any aspect of physiology.
“I’ve never been shy about calling myself a colorectal surgeon,” says Yee, who practices with White Plains Hospital and White Plains Physician Associates. “[People] would ask why I told others I’ve met that I was a colorectal surgeon instead of just a surgeon,” says Yee. “I would reply, ‘Why not?’ Honestly, I feel my job is very fulfilling. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t feel I’ve helped someone. It may be even for a small question that they have, regarding hygiene or their obstructing tumor or perforated diverticulitis. I feel I’ve made good use of my time.”
And Yee has spent plenty of time aiding a whole range of patients as part of a multidisciplinary group within a full-spectrum surgical practice. “I provide a broad coverage practice in colorectal surgery, ranging from primary care for colon and rectal needs to very specialized surgical care,” explains Yee.
The doctor is, in fact, so renowned for her congenial manner that some patients continue to see her even after they no longer require her medical help. “I will admit I have patients in my practice who are not currently active in terms of changes in their medical care that I need to make,” says Yee. “There have been times when I’ve told primary-care doctors that I do not need to see a patient any longer, and they’ve asked me not to discontinue the visits, as they felt the patient relies on those visits in some way.”
“Making people healthy allows them to maximize their focus on the rest of their lives. ”
Patients, in turn, feel they can open up to Yee about a range of personal issues. “Sometimes [patients] confide and tell me stories that are seemingly unrelated to the realm of colorectal surgery; however, whether it’s Crohn’s disease I’m treating or an anal spasm, sometimes unloading these stressful stories serves as a relief and can help those other problems,” notes Yee.
The dedicated doctor’s work to aid others shows no sign of abatement. “We are actively in the midst of our national accreditation program for rectal cancer, which I am very proud of, called NAPRC,” she explains. “This is a nationwide movement toward a center of excellence in rectal cancer care. It is a way to ensure that centers are providing quality care. The standards dictate what those specifications are, and we are well into the process. Many of those standards we already had in place, but there are certainly improvements that have been made.” Yee, who recently attended the inaugural meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, also plans to have a pelvic-floor consortium with other White Plains Hospital doctors.
Above all, Yee’s focus squarely remains on improving the lives of each and every patient she sees. “Making people healthy allows them to maximize their focus on the rest of their lives,” she says. “As I’ve told many patients in the past, they’re still here on earth to continue to do good things.”
