Irma Waldo, MD

Irma Waldo, MD, has served her community with compassion for over 60 years. She began her career in the early 1950’s – a time when women were not frequently found in the field of medicine. At one point early in her practice, due to the military commitment of the one other physician in their town, Dr. Waldo was the only remaining doctor available in the community in which she practiced.

Dr. Waldo’s service to her community is extensive. She was an original participant in the founding of, and currently serves as Medical Director of, Twin County Recovery Services of Columbia and Greene Counties. Twin County has subsequently founded the Red Door Residential Recovery Services for Men in Hudson and the Riverside Recovery Residence for Women in Catskill, both of which provide substance abuse counseling programs. She was the attending physician on North Wing at Pine Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Philmont. She has served as Medical Director of Pine Haven and the Baptist Home in Rhinebeck. Dr. Waldo served for over 20 years as School Physician for the Hudson City School District, the former RoeJan School and then the Taconic Hills School District. Wearing a different hat, she once served as president of the PTA at RoeJan School. She has served a term as President of Columbia Memorial Hospital Staff and Columbia County Medical Society.

Together with her office nurse, Mrs. Yvonne DelGrande, Dr. Waldo formed the all-volunteer RoeJan Hospice in the 1970’s. She trained volunteers in surrounding towns to expand the program to become Columbia County Hospice prior to the formation of the current Hudson Valley Community Hospice. She was a Sunday School teacher at the Hillsdale Methodist Church for 20 years and held a summer camp program for local children at her family residence to teach swimming lessons, as neither the community nor the local school had a pool for that purpose. She is currently a part leader in a Bible Study, a choir member in the West Copake Reformed Church and has served in the past on the Consistory.

A graduate of Buffalo University and the University of Buffalo Medical School, Dr. Waldo was listed in Who’s Who in America at Buffalo Medical School. She was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society and received an anatomy award when she graduated first in her class in 1949. Dr. Waldo survives her husband of 65 years, Dr. John Waldo, DDS. They have four children, two of whom are also physicians. Her various hobbies include gardening, horseback riding, tap-dancing and teaching. A literacy advocate, she has taught reading – tutoring both children and adults, and taught tap-dancing in her 80’s to a class of Happy Tappers ages 55 to 85 at a Senior Center. An avid skier, she was a member of the Catamount Ski Patrol in Hillsdale for over 40 years.