Phoebe Celebrates National Women Physicians Day, Honoring 49 Women Physicians Across 20 Specialties
Albany, GA | February 3, 2026 – In recognition of National Women Physicians Day, Phoebe Putney Health System proudly celebrates the women physicians who are advancing healthcare, expanding access, mentoring future leaders, and strengthening communities across southwest Georgia. Phoebe employs 49 female physicians in 20 specialties across the health system, reflecting its continued commitment to excellence, access, and patient-centered care.
Phoebe’s women physicians serve patients in the following specialties: Behavioral Health, Cardiology, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Hematology/Oncology, Inpatient Medicine, Maternal/Fetal Medicine, Neonatology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Pain Management, Pediatric Inpatient Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Primary Care, Pulmonology, Radiology, Rheumatology, and Trauma Surgery.
Among those physicians are Dr. Estrellita Redmon, Dr. Mana Kasongo, and Dr. Kristin Tott – three leaders whose collective experience spans 78 years in medicine.
As President of Phoebe Physicians, Dr. Redmon oversees the health system’s integrated network of providers that includes more than 360 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,200 total employees. She has been in the medical field for nearly 40 years, including almost 37 years since completing residency and 25 years in leadership roles. She was inspired to pursue medicine at age 12 after witnessing her great-grandfather suffer a fatal heart attack, at a time when there were no African American female physicians in her hometown of Tallahassee, Florida.
“When I began my career, I was often the only woman in the room. Rather than seeing that as a barrier, I saw it as an opportunity to open doors for others,” Dr. Redmon said.
Throughout her career, Dr. Redmon has prioritized improving access to care, particularly in rural areas. As a clinician, she encouraged her teams to say “yes” whenever possible to patients seeking appointments, understanding that delayed access can lead to worsening outcomes. In executive leadership, she has championed a decentralized model of care, expanding primary and specialty services closer to the communities Phoebe serves.
“Access to care is one of the most powerful ways to improve health outcomes. When we bring care closer to our communities, we are strengthening families and changing lives,” said Dr. Redmon.
Dr. Redmon has also remained committed to mentoring young women interested in medicine and advancing representation in executive leadership and underrepresented subspecialties.
Dr. Mana Kasongo, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at Phoebe Worth Medical Center, has practiced emergency medicine for nearly 20 years. Inspired at age six by watching her mother work as a certified nursing assistant, Dr. Kasongo’s path to medicine included earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University before returning to medical school at Rush Medical College. She completed her emergency medicine residency in 2006.
“There is no single blueprint for becoming a physician. My journey took unexpected turns, but every experience shaped the doctor I am today,” she said.
Dr. Kasongo’s global experiences, including time spent living in Liberia and participating in medical missions in Haiti and Kenya, reinforced her commitment to improving healthcare access. Today, she leads the Emergency Department at Phoebe Worth and helped guide the facility to become a certified remote stroke center.
“In the emergency department, we meet patients in some of the most critical moments of their lives. Empathy and strong communication help build trust when it matters most,” said Dr. Kasongo.
Dr. Kristin Tott, General Surgeon at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center, has been practicing for 18 years. After graduating from the Medical College of Georgia and completing her general surgery residency in 2013, she joined Phoebe, where she has served patients for the past 13 years.
When Dr. Tott began her surgical residency, she was one of only three women in a 20-resident program. By the time she graduated, the program had nearly reached a 50-50 gender balance.
“Watching the number of women in surgery grow over time has been inspiring. It shows how much progress we’ve made in expanding opportunities in this field,” said Dr. Tott.
In addition to her surgical practice, Dr. Tott serves in leadership roles as Chairman of the Quality and Safety Committee, Chief of the Department of Surgery, and Director of Phoebe Physician Group Outpatient Clinics (Phoebe Sumter Medical Center). She believes excellence in surgery requires both technical skills and compassion.
“As surgeons, we care for the whole person, not just the procedure. Compassion and clinical excellence go hand in hand,” said Dr. Tott.
Together, Dr. Redmon, Dr. Kasongo and Dr. Tott exemplify the leadership, innovation, and dedication that define women physicians across Phoebe.
National Women Physicians Day honors the legacy of Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States in 1849. It was established to honor Dr. Blackwell’s 200th birthday in 2021 and has continued to grow in recognition. Fifteen years after Dr. Blackwell earned her medical degree, Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first African American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States in 1864.
At Phoebe, the day serves as both a celebration of progress and a continued commitment to supporting women physicians who are shaping the future of healthcare throughout southwest Georgia and beyond.