Dr. L. Joy Baker is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in LaGrange, Georgia. She has served both urban and rural communities for more than a decade, following her medical school and residency training at the Morehouse School of Medicine and the Grady Health System, where she graduated with honors.
She currently serves as the Director for Quality and Safety for Women’s Health at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, where she is also the Department Chair of OB/GYN and Pediatrics. Dr. Baker is among the first physicians in the United States to complete a HRSA fellowship in Transformational Healthcare Leadership at the Morehouse School of Medicine. She also completed the Medical Association of Georgia’s Physician Leadership Academy and was recognized by Georgia Trends as a “Top Doc” in OB/GYN.
In 2019, she became one of the first OB/GYNs in the country to earn special certification in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, along with certification in the treatment of addiction during pregnancy. Her clinical and research interests focus on advancing health equity, particularly in maternal morbidity and mortality, statewide perinatal quality improvement, and maternal mental health. She speaks on these topics at the local, regional, and national levels.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, her commitment to educating and empowering the public inspired the launch of Delivering Joy MD across social media platforms, providing accessible and reliable women’s health information. In 2022, BeeTV33 partnered with her to broadcast her weekly “Well Woman Wednesday” segment on West Georgia’s local television and ROKU stations.
A Georgia native, Dr. Baker was born in LaGrange to a family with a long legacy of service in the region. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and The Links, Incorporated. She worships and serves at Impact United Methodist Church, where she is a certified lay minister. In her free time, Dr. Baker enjoys roller skating, music, books, discount shopping, and interior design.