VanBeek advocates for quality of life

Marta VanBeek

What’s more important–saving a life, or making life worth living? It’s a difficult choice, and one that doctors and patients make every day. For Marta VanBeek (’97 MD, ’01 R, ’03 F, ’03 MPH), UI assistant professor of dermatology, quality of life issues guide her work as clinician, teacher and humanitarian.

She is aware that some of her colleagues in other areas of medicine can view her specialty as less important than those where saving lives is the main focus. That just makes VanBeek more passionate about her research into health-related quality of life. Whether in Uganda, Zimbabwe or Iowa City, VanBeek has found that one thing is always the same: diseases of the skin affect people’s lives in a way few others do. She hopes her research will help show insurance companies, physicians and other health service providers how much of an impact effective treatment can have on people’s lives.

"In Africa you can be asked to leave your village or be unable to get a job or get married if you have a stigmatizing skin disease. Even in the United States, many patients who have skin disease rank it as far more life altering than some other chronic diseases, like diabetes, for instance," she said. "Skin disease can be devastating for people no matter where they live."

A UI faculty member since 2003, VanBeek realized early on that she was interested in quality of life issues. Her credentials as both an MD and an MPH are perfect for translating her research into real help for patients with dermatomyositis, psoriasis, eczema, papular pyretic eruption of HIV and other skin conditions.

"My research has been bedside to population," VanBeek said. "The goal of the clinical trials I have been involved in is to bring new treatments to all patients who can benefit from them."

VanBeek is passionate about patient advocacy and it drives everything from her research to her treatment recommendations. She’s also part of a national coalition on skin diseases and an advocate for skin disease funding.

Her commitment to her profession was recently recognized by the International League of Dermatological Societies, which awarded her the North American Young Dermatologist International Achievement Award. Given to just one dermatologist from each continent every five years, the award honors VanBeek for "significant achievement in dermatology that stands as an example to all young dermatologists."

While VanBeek was surprised and somewhat sheepish about having been chosen for the award, it isn’t surprising given the examples that she had to follow as she was growing up in LeMars, Iowa. Her parents, Dr. Leslie and Iris Hemmingson, were active–and still are–in extensive service activities in their community and beyond, and often included their children. VanBeek has carried that tradition forward into all aspects of her life, from her career to her international volunteer work.

For now, however, her international activities are on hold for a very good reason: She and her husband, Grant VanBeek, UI assistant professor of preventive and community dentistry, are parents to a 5–year–old daughter and are in the process of adopting her 11–year–old sister and 12–year–old brother.

In a few years, "after the kids get used to us," she said, she hopes to add international volunteerism back into the mix.

"I like being able to see patients get better," she said. "I like to make a difference."