A number of local children have Dr. Geni A. Bennetts, to thank — at least indirectly — for their health.  

Bennetts recently stepped down as president of the Children’s Health Initiative Napa County.

Launched in 2005, the program works to ensure that local children have access to comprehensive, quality healthcare.

“It is one of the most wonderful projects I have worked on,” she said.

“People really do put their money where their mouth is in this community,” said Bennetts.

“And it’s making a difference.”

Bennetts moved to Napa in 1996, after retiring as chief of the division of hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplantation at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.  

What three people would you most like to have dinner with?

I would love to dine with Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman physician in the United States who graduated from medical school in 1849.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman who turned her adversity into accomplishing great things for her country.

What job would you like to try/not like to try?

I would like to try being a medical research space scientist/astronaut.

I would never want to be the astronaut on a space walk and “hanging off” the space station swing arm.

What was your first job?  

I was a babysitter and a candy striper on the pulmonary ward at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Va. That’s where I grew up.   

How did you get into this business?

My pediatrician was a woman, and since I was 6 years old I have wanted to be a physician.

I became a pediatric oncologist and bone marrow transplanter after I rotated on the oncology service as resident.

I loved the patients and found the science exciting.

There’s something new to learn every day.

Early in my career we were trying to use molecular biology to evaluate tumors. It was very primitive compared to what we do now. If you look at what’s happened in the past 30 years it’s amazing.  

What’s on your to-do list?  

1) To see the aurora borealis.

2) To visit the Scandinavian countries.

3) To always have the opportunity to learn new things, and find a new challenge.

Who do you most admire in the business world?

Queen Elizabeth I — minus the Tower of London and family beheadings. She was one of the longest reigning monarchs (1533-1603) of the times and under her rule Great Britain became the most powerful and wealthy nation of the time.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you haven’t yet?

Assisting in the development of equal access to health care for all children and ultimately all the inhabitants of our country. This is not only a humanitarian issue, it is a public health issue.

What’s the most significant project you’ve been involved with in your career?

The most significant project with which I have been involved was as Chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and having the privilege of building the program from its very beginnings into a thriving and comprehensive program which has continued to grow and to achieve national recognition.

What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?

I love ballroom dancing and am taking lessons. I will, however, never be eligible for “Dancing with the Stars.” The dance I love the most is the Cha-Cha.  

What other business person(s) would you like to see featured in “10 Questions for…”

Dr. Karen Smith, Napa County Public Health Officer.

Tim Rodgers, president, Walsh Vineyards Management, Inc.

Mark Diel, executive director of the Children’s Health Initiative Napa County.

More from Dr. Geni A. Bennetts

What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

The advent of managed care and decreased available funding for all patients. As a physician I have seen it become more and more difficult to try to maintain programs where all children can receive the very same care regardless of economic status.

I can’t live without: My family.

If you could change one thing about your business, what would it be?

I would ensure healthcare for all, bring down the cost of healthcare and medication, and aim for general health improvement in our country.

What’s your favorite gift to give?

An experience or trip that I can share.

What was your childhood ambition?

To be a physician.

If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

Here in the beautiful Napa Valley where I am fortunate enough to live.  I can truly think of no other place I would rather be.

What’s one thing Napa could do to help local business?

All of us in Napa can continue to support our local businesses during this time of economic uncertainty, maintaining our relationships with these businesses. We should realize that this personal interaction and support is not only good for a business, but good for us as customers as well.

What’s the worst job you ever had?

Cleaning bathrooms and toilets in the dormitory of my boarding school in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to help pay my high school tuition.

To suggest a candidate for “10 Questions” e-mail:  jhuffman@napanews.com