About Dr. Graber Starla D. Graber, MD, comes from a family of medical practitioners. Her dad was an old-fashioned family doctor who made house calls, delivered babies, sutured, set bones and did X-rays. “I used to go with him after hours on house calls or when he opened the office to help him take care of patients,” Dr. Graber says. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Goshen College and her MD at Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, where she was Resident Teacher of the Year. Having worked in Elkhart since 1997, Dr. Graber loves the mix of doing wellness care and disease prevention in the office setting and also being able to use technical skills required in surgery and obstetrics. She is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine and practiced medicine in Elkhart for 25 years, at River Oaks OB-GYN. “By joining Beacon, I have the opportunity to continue serving my patients and my community and to carry on the long tradition of providing excellent OB-GYN care,” she says. Her philosophy as a physician is about committing to patient education, evidence-based medicine and making decisions with patients to help them achieve optimal health. “I care deeply about my patients as whole persons and believe that all our life experiences affect our health and wellness.” Dr. Graber wants her patients to believe that they are worth being cared for and also that they are worth the time and effort – and sometimes doing the hard things – to live a healthy life. She is also involved in the community, having served on boards including Elkhart County Symphony Association Board, Oaklawn and South Bend Medical Foundation board, and as a member of a committee for the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. In her own words… Who is or was the most influential people/role models in your life?  My parents. What was your first job growing up? What do you remember about it?  Working as a cashier in a fruit market. I am still friends with some of my coworkers. What is your favorite food? Movie? What was your best/worst subjects in school growing up?  Favorite foods: Any style of potato; cheeses and ice cream are close seconds; Best subject: Math If you could sit down to dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?  Creator of the universe! I would just have so many questions! In addition to medicine, what are you passionate about? What are your hobbies, interests?  I love doing special things to make people happy. I love being with my family, flower gardening, reading, walking – especially on beaches and collecting shells, sitting by a fire and hosting guests at my home. What is something most people don’t know about you?  I grew up without a TV, so never developed the habit of watching.