About Dr. Katrina Mitchell

I was born and raised in California’s agricultural central valley, competing in tennis and soccer, playing the cello, and writing.  I graduated from Bowdoin College in coastal Maine, receiving the most outstanding honors thesis award for my investigation into the forced sterilization of Native American women in the 1970s.

After college, I worked at reproductive health clinic in urban Philadelphia and fell in love with women’s health.  I subsequently completed my pre-medical studies and was accepted to Dartmouth Medical School.  During my general surgery residency at Cornell, I was a global health scholar and worked with several surgical and infectious disease projects at our partner hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania – East Africa. 

After residency graduation, I served as Cornell surgery faculty and helped establish the first pediatric burn unit in Tanzania. I also had an incredible experience volunteering as a flight surgeon for the African Medical Research and Education Foundation (AMREF) out of Nairobi, Kenya.

My four years living and working in Africa ultimately impacted my decision to enter the field of breast surgery. Aside from enjoying the clinical care, I realized the opportunities for community education, prevention initiatives, and advocacy for women’s health.

I completed my breast surgery specialty training at MD Anderson Cancer Center and gave birth to my son in Houston.  I was fortunate to have the support of my mom (who had breastfed me with help from the La Leche League), lactation consultants at Texas Children’s Hospital, friends, and colleagues. Breastfeeding became a personal and professional focus of mine, which I captured in a book I wrote for my son about being a surgeon mom. 

After graduation, I developed a clinical interest in caring for pregnancy-associated and postpartum breast cancer patients.  I also became an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and certified perinatal mental health provider (PMH-C) to expand the support I could offer to breastfeeding dyads.  I continued additional post-graduate training in the  Postpartum Stress Center’s Post-Graduate PPD Course.

I spent the first several years of my surgical and breastfeeding medicine practice in the high desert of New Mexico. We explored the rich history of the mountain and southwest, made wonderful friends, and saw breathtaking national parks.

We subsequently moved home to California, where I joined the Ridley Tree Cancer Center at Sansum Clinic and have been able to explore the central coast once again.  It is my dream to build a women’s health comprehensive care center for our region.

In addition to clinical work, I am active in the American Society of Breast Surgeon. I collaborate with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education, Postpartum Support International, and multiple breastfeeding organizations throughout the world. I contribute to the AMB’s blog, IABLE podcast, and speak regionally, nationally, and internationally on breast cancer and lactation topics. Locally, I serve as the medical director of the Ventura Coast Milk Bank.