A Career Transforming Women's Health Care w/ Dr. Mitch Levine

Most of the stories on this show are connected to food in some way - but as our byline says we also talk about radical love and creative social justice, and today’s show uplifts a beautiful example of both of these principles. 

Mitch Levine is an OBGYN doctor based in the Boston area who has been helping to transform his profession towards women-centered holistic care for over 40 years. Starting from a place of respecting women’s bodies and wishes, he demonstrated that it was possible to support births and surgeries in ways that were previously unheard of in 1980’s western medical practices. He learned from and partnered with midwives and spread new techniques to residents and other doctors inside hospitals one birth or surgery at a time. This approach has contributed to changing what is considered standard practice for procedures such as births after c-section and removing fibroids - a major win for women’s health.

I have known Mitch for nearly 45 years, since I was a little kid, through a cooperative summer dance community we were both part of. I always knew he was a well respected women’s health doctor, but hadn’t talked with him about it… this summer was different. Mitch is dancing his way through terminal and painful late stage cancer, and I was amazed at his vibrancy and joy even in the face of death. I made more time to sit and listen as he shared one amazing story after another about the groundbreaking work he has done to support and transform women’s healthcare. I was honored that he made time to document these stories and I hope you enjoy hearing them as much as I did.

Thanks to Meg Dalton for editing the interview and to the Passion Hifi for our theme song! The Table Underground airs on WPKN community radio 89.5fm in Bridgeport, CT the 4th Wednesday of every month at noon, and by podcast any time.

September 22, 2025