February 8, 2024
Meet Martha
“Working at a place like Hopewell has been a goal ever since I was a medical resident in Boston,” says Martha Schinagle, MD, Hopewell’s psychiatrist. “I heard about Gould Farm (one of the four other residential farms for adults with mental illness in the United States) and it sounded like a wonderful place to recover and a great place to work.”
An experience as a medical student cemented Martha’s decision to specialize in psychiatry. She worked on a mental health inpatient unit studying the effectiveness of a drug that treats schizophrenia. “One of my patients had a very difficult time with her illness,” she recalled. “When she reached a therapeutic dose of the medication, she said, ‘Thank you for giving me my life back!’ Where else in medicine can you hear that? Bringing her back from far away was so satisfying.”
Martha pursued a career in community mental health before returning to Cleveland to be closer to family. In 2013, she joined the staff at Hopewell, and that long ago dream that had stayed in the back of her mind was realized. Her duties include assessing residents’ needs, consulting with clinicians about treatment plans and medication, and counseling residents.
“One of the important aspects of Hopewell is the opportunity to be in nature. It’s so healing,” Martha said. She loves to garden and spend time outside with family and her dogs. During the summer, she visits Lake Chautauqua and enjoys boating.
When asked what makes working at Hopewell meaningful, Martha stated, “I like making a difference in people’s lives and seeing people get better. It is a privilege to work with our remarkably dedicated clinicians. Also, it’s inspiring to see the healing community in action!” She continued, “Recently, as a resident came out of a depression, she started motivating people to get more involved, asking them to sit with her at dinner or join her at a group. She helped a lot of her peers.”
Thank you, Martha, for fulfilling your dream at Hopewell!
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