Anna Hoekstra is a board certified gynecologic oncologist and division chief of gynecologic oncology at WMCC.
Dr. Hoekstra was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, and moved to Kalamazoo at age 4. Her family lived on Kalamazoo’s north side, and she attended Kalamazoo Christian Schools from kindergarten through high school. It was her high school biology class that first sparked her interest in becoming a physician. Her inspirational teacher shared the amazement of how living beings develop and how they function, which became the basis for her pre-medical education. She moved on to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, where she majored in biology. She spent the next 13 years in Chicago, obtaining a master’s degree in public health, a doctorate in medicine, and subspecialty training in her chosen field.
In medical school, Dr. Hoekstra developed a particular interest in women’s health, specifically reproductive health. She enjoyed the idea of being able to educate women about how their bodies work, leading her to choose obstetrics and gynecology as a specialty. Caring for women with cancer, including clinical research and surgery, drew her to pursue subspecialty training in gynecologic oncology. She completed her training in 2009, graduating from fellowship training at Northwestern University.
Throughout her career, Dr. Hoekstra has written chapters in surgical texts and published numerous manuscripts in national and international journals. She conducts clinical research at WMCC and at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine to improve our understanding of gynecologic malignancies to best help the patients in our community. Dr. Hoekstra’s research is recognized and published in numerous medical journals. Click here to learn more. She has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery, which allows patients a quick recovery and decreased surgical risk. She enjoys teaching and mentoring both ob/gyn residents and students training at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. She feels honored to care for women at their most vulnerable moments and lucky to enjoy coming to work each day to serve her community.
- Medical School
Rush University
Chicago, IL - Master of Public Health
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL - Residency
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Chicago, IL - Fellowship
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL - Board Certification—Obstetrics & Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology
Minimally invasive surgery for uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and complex benign conditions. Comprehensive surgical care and chemotherapy administration for women with all gynecologic malignancies, including cancer of the ovaries, uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, vulva, and vagina.
