April 2023 | Volume 2 Issue 8 |
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From Dr. Catherine Spong: |
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Maternal Mortality and Social Determinants of Health |
Disparities in patient outcomes—including in obstetrics and gynecology—persist across racial and ethnic lines in part because of social determinants of health (SDOH), which has become an area of interest over the past several decades and seen increased traction in recent years.
According to the Texas Tribune, the tragedy of maternal mortality in Texas unfolded evenly across the state, impacting Black women worst of all. |
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As obstetrician-gynecologists, understanding the role of SDOH for our patients and their health care outcomes is beneficial in providing care. Asking about and understanding their housing, transportation, and neighborhood conditions allow us the opportunity to address health care issues and may enhance patients’ ability to receive health care.
This has been our aim with projects such as the eMCAP program and our new IMPACT study, funded by PCORI (more on these below).
Identifying resources to address SDOH needs, providing SDOH to our patients, and working with our communities to create SDOH has the potential to reduce and improve the disparities in health outcomes.
When the days feel long and the work feels thankless, remember that what you are doing is important. With the compassionate care we offer our patients, we are becoming part of the solution.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion |
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From Dr. Kristie Wilburn-Wren |
In an ongoing effort to increase our awareness about the importance of diversity in medicine and the workplace, the DEI Committee would like to share the following reading with the department.
It is our hope that the dissemination of this reading will spark conversation as well as educate. You can find the article using the button below.
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Thank you to all who participated in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Retreat on March 29.
Our DEI Committee looks forward to sharing the new initiatives they are spearheading as a result of the Retreat. Stay tuned for more next month!
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Welcome our new team members! Make sure you say hello and introduce yourself. |
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Tracie Green
Accountant III
Finance Team
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Monica Rincon
Accountant I
Finance Team
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Alejandra Castillo
Certified MOA
Ob/Gyn Clinic - POB 2
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Beth Hernandez
RN
Ob/Gyn Clinic - POB 2
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PACT cards honor UT Southwestern employees and faculty who demonstrate superior organizational values through quality customer service. Recognition can come from managers, co-workers, internal or external customers, faculty, patients, or visitors. |
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The PACT program has three pin award levels: Blue (four PACT cards), Silver (eight PACT cards), and Gold (16 PACT cards). Submit a recognition online for UTSW members each time great service is noticed.
Congratulations to all our recipients!
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Recent PACT Card Recipients: |
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Jacquelyn Alvarado, Certified RN Midwife
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Lucy Berry, Education Coordinator
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Andrea Brooks, Clinical Staff Assistant III
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Talika Brooks, Certified Medical Office Assistant
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Abigail Carranza, Clinical Staff Assistant III
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Brenda Castillo, Certified Medical Office Assistant
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Dr. David Cook, Professor
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Dr. Melissa Crochet, Assistant Professor
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Christina Dowden, Graduate Medical Education Coordinator II
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Sharon Edwards, Graduate Medical Education Coordinator I
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Sandra Escalante, Clinical Staff Assistant I
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Dr. Maria Florian-Rodriguez, Assistant Professor
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Grace Gonzales, Clinical Staff Coordinator
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Lisa Gray, Administrative Associate
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Rehab Hassanein, Certified Medical Office Assistant
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Christy Hicks, Advanced Practice RN
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Susan Hovinen, Certified RN Midwife
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Bennie Hull, Clinical Staff Assistant I
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Deborah Jarrett, Division Operations Administrator
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Nicole Jayne, Ambulatory RN
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Xavier Jones, Graduate Medical Education Coordinator I
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Vladimir Lemaire, Ultrasound Technologist
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Kimberly Loggins, Education Coordinator
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Bettina Long, Administrative Associate
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Laurie Marroquin, Supervisor Ambulatory RN
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Ungelica Moses, Advanced Practice RN
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Kiesha Parker, Certified Medical Office Assistant
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Tracey Peacock, Graduate Medical Education Coordinator I
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Justine Petros, Supervisor, Education Programs
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Morgan Phillips, Marketing & Communications Specialist
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Teresa Randall, Ultrasound Technologist
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Chankeese Reed, Certified Medical Office Assistant
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Dr. Joseph Schaffer, Professor
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Dr. Jessica Shields, Assistant Professor
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Yvette Stewart, Senior Administrative Assistant II
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Babitha Thomas, Manager, Ambulatory RN
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Renee Toscano, Graduate Medical Education Coordinator II
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Alyssa Tovar, Clinical Staff Assistant III
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Charlotte Washington, Medical Office Assistant
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Holli White, Clinical Staff Supervisor
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Regina Williams, Education Coordinator
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Tiffany Williams, Ultrasound Technologist
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Kelly Yanes, Ultrasound Technologist
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Gynecologic Oncology Previvor Program |
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Dr. Jaya Lea is head of the Gynecologic Oncology Previvor Program at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The Gynecologic Oncology Previvor Program offers comprehensive services to patients with a hereditary risk for gynecologic cancers. These include patients with genetic mutations that increase their risk for developing ovarian, fallopian tube, and endometrial cancer.
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Genetics and Pregnancy | Preconception Genetic Testing |
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Heather Fisher, a genetic counselor at our Ob/Gyn and MFM Clinic at POB 2, specializes in providing guidance to individuals and couples who are planning a pregnancy (preconception) or who are currently pregnant (prenatal).
Heather and team discuss potential genetic risks that might impact pregnancy so patients can make informed decisions about genetic testing and understand their test results.
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Patient Story: Dr. Martin Hechanova |
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Erin Dowell, patient of Dr. Martin Hechanova, experienced the unthinkable loss of her daughter at 29 weeks. She desperately wanted to become pregnant again, but she had overwhelming anxiety trusting her body to carry a subsequent pregnancy.
Erin recently detailed the birth of her daughter, Halle, in a blog post for the Pregnancy After Loss Support group, where she noted her thankfulness for Dr. Hechanova and team for the compassionate, tailored care they provided.
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"I’m grateful to have had a group of medical providers who understood and supported me through the experience. They reassured me that I was physically in good health, they ordered additional scans and tests to ensure that the baby was growing appropriately, and by the end of the pregnancy I was much better—not perfect, but better—at working through the invasive anxiety-inducing thoughts." Read Erin's story in full.
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Patient Story: Dr. Salvatore LoCoco |
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Sometimes, a second opinion can save your life. That was certainly the case for Christena Garduno.
After a standard ultrasound, Christena’s first doctor diagnosed her with fibroids. But something about this diagnosis didn't sit right with Christena. Not only were her symptoms worsening, but she “never felt one hundred percent content with the answers [she] received from [her] original surgeon,” Christena says reflectively of the experience.
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Trusting her gut instincts, Christena sought a radiologist to perform another scan -- this time, an MRI -- and thankfully she did. Dr. Salvatore LoCoco and team reported her MRI findings as "highly suspicious of malignancy." In other words, Christena didn't have fibroids, but gynecologic cancer.
Thanks to her own self-advocacy, and Dr. LoCoco's expert care, Christena went on to beat cancer. She wrote for the Foundation of Women's Cancer that she feels forever changed, stronger, more resilient, and infinitely more capable of dealing with life’s obstacles because of this experience.
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Society of Gynecologic Oncology |
Two of our Gynecologic Oncology fellows, Dr. Alexandra Spirtos and Dr. Christopher Walker, presented their research at the recent Society of Gynecologic Oncology's Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer. A handful of our Gynecologic Oncology providers attended the Tampa, Florida meeting as well. |
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Pacific Coast Reproductive Society |
Our Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellows, Dr. Melanie Evans and Dr. Ruchi Amin attended the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society's 2023 Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, California where they were invited to present their research. |
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Dr. Yevgenia Fomina at the Gillman Symposium |
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Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow, Dr. Yevgenia Fomina, presented "Simulation to improve resident surgical management of postpartum hemorrhage in women undergoing cesarean delivery" at last week's Alfred G. Gillman Symposium on Education.
Dr. Fomina's presentation covered the implementation of a resident simulation that focuses on B-Lunch and O'Leary suture techniques during cesarean delivery. After completion of the simulation, residents had higher confidence scores (51% vs 81% felt confident) and test scores (62% vs 91%).
Amazing work, Dr. Fomina!
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UTSW Medical Student Wins Award from ACOG |
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The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Dr. Reem Ghalib Award recognizes outstanding achievement in promotion of gender equity for women in medicine.
Medical students, residents, and fellows who identify as women are invited to apply for this $500 award to help fund their attendance at a national conference where they are the lead or presenting author of an English-language abstract pertaining to gender equity or gender-related health disparities.
This year's award was given to UT Southwestern medical student, Samantha Mendoza Stanteen. Congrats to Samantha and all who helped in her receipt of this recognition.
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News Release: UT Southwestern approved for $18 million for multicenter trial to improve postpartum care |
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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have been approved for an $18 million funding award from the nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to investigate ways to improve postpartum health among primarily low-income Black and Hispanic women.
The study will employ two models of care to determine which one results in earlier detection and treatment of complications among mothers after delivery. One group will receive virtual education and communication via push notifications; the other will have regular telehealth visits.
“The study will determine the best way to use technology to improve access to maternal health care and decrease complications after birth,” said Dr. Elaine Duryea, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic at Parkland Health, who will be a Principal Investigator on the study along with Dr. David Nelson, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UT Southwestern, and Medical Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Parkland Health.
The study builds on knowledge gained from existing UT Southwestern and Parkland programs that aim to reduce high mortality rates among new mothers in southern Dallas County. The Extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy (eMCAP) program utilizes community health workers, nurse home visits, scheduled virtual visits, and an in-person mobile unit with medical providers, social workers, and pharmacy services deployed within the community to extend and enhance postpartum care for diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral health services.
“Our department is honored to have been given this award. Maternal health is of the utmost importance, and the findings of this study will provide women’s health care providers with more guidance and resources to ensure that their patients receive even better care in the future,” said Dr. Catherine Spong, Chair and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern.
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News Release: Ice packs help manage pain after laparoscopic hysterectomies, UT Southwestern study finds |
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“This study supports the safety of ice packs applied to the abdomen following surgery, despite lack of reduction in pain scores and pain medication usage,” said Dr. Jessica Shields, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and corresponding author of the study. “Although it does not decrease pain medication use, patients were satisfied with the addition of ice to their pain management regimen and would recommend it to others.”
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Recent Published Research |
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Dr. David Nelson, Dr. Robert McIntire, Dr. Elaine Duryea, Dr. Ashlyn Lafferty, Dr. Donald McIntire, Dr. Jessica Pruszynski, and Dr. Catherine Spong collaborated on the study, "Extending Maternal Care After Pregnancy: An Initiative to Address Health Care Disparities and Enhance Access to Care After Delivery," for The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
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Dr. Kimberly Kho and Dr. Riley Young collaborated on the editorial, "Twist and Shout: How Can We Do Better for Our Patients with Ovarian Torsion?" for The Green Journal.
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Christy Hicks, Dr. David Rahn, and Dr. Jessica Pruszynski collaborated on the study, "Prevalence and Bother of Postvoid Dribbling and Urine Spraying or Splitting: Survey of a General Gynecology Population" for Urology.
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Dr. David Miller and a team of international specialists collaborated on the study, "Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab in Previously Treated Advanced Endometrial Cancer: Updated Efficacy and Safety from the Randomized Phase III Study," for the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Dr. Christopher Walker, Dr. Alexandra Spirtos, and Dr. David Miller collaborated on the study, "Pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib combination therapy for advanced endometrial carcinoma," for the Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy.
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Dr. Kim Kho collaborated on the study, "Radiofrequency Ablation of Leiomyomas," for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Green Journal.
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Meg Bouvier Grant Writing Library:
UT Southwestern researchers and staff have access to Dr. Meg Bouvier’s grant writing library, a series of 13 virtual, self-paced CME-accredited training courses designed to teach you step-by-step how to write an NIH submission.
Please watch the introductory video and register for access to the library using the links below.
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If you have questions about funding opportunities or would like to discuss your research interests and goals, please email Nicole Beckley or Jessica Hook at any time. |
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Nicole Beckley
Scientific Research Writer
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Jessica Hook
Lab Manager/Research Development Specialist
Department of Pediatrics - Critical Care Medicine
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CenterTimes Feature: Dr. Jaya Lea, Chief of Division of Gynecologic Oncology |
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Dr. Jaya Lea, whose appointment as Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology became effective on February 1, was featured in CenterTimes for her new role.
“The Division will build on its strength as a destination of choice that provides patients with the highest-quality evaluation and treatment as well as dedicated clinical trials that offer the latest in novel therapies,” Dr. Lea said. “Through collaborative research, we will build a comprehensive program to advance the care of women with gynecologic cancers.”
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March 30: National Doctors' Day |
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We celebrated National Doctors' Day last month. National Doctors' Day is a day to honor the physicians, like you all, who selflessly serve communities with skill and compassion.
Our staff wanted to recognize your contributions and extend our gratitude for your hard work in many areas: patient care, education, and research.
Happy National Doctors' Day from us to you. Thank you for all that you do.
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Annual Compliance Training Due Tomorrow |
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All employees, faculty members, and applicable contractors must complete annual compliance training by tomorrow, April 19. Those who do not complete the training face disciplinary action up to termination.
The training is comprised of three 30-minute modules and will take approximately 1.5 total hours to complete:
- Ethics, Compliance, and Our Organization’s Expectations of the Workforce
- Privacy and Information Security (DIR) Training
- Equal Opportunity Employment
If you have questions about the FY23 compliance training, please email Joanie Riley. |
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Schedule Your UT Southwestern Headshot |
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All department faculty, staff, and trainees:
The department is working on a number of projects for which having updated headshots of the members of our team will be integral. These projects include staff and faculty listings on our Intranet and faculty academic and clinical provider profiles.
Pictured: Sunil Balgobin, M.D., Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
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Academic Staff Happy Hour |
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Our administrative, education, finance, and research staff got together at Rodeo Goat on Tuesday, April 4th for Happy Hour!
Pictured left to right: Candi Hecht, Morgan Phillips, Nina Facundo, Lisa Hernandez, Lisa Moseley, Alana Gomez, Yalonda Mitchell, Teresa Mastrangelo, Deborah Jarrett, Toshia Lee, Cuong Nguyen, Christopher Jennings, Tricia Johnson, Melissa Lopez, (Ana) Ivette Sias, Claudia Brock.
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Upcoming Employee Engagement Events |
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Administrative Professional's Day |
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Wednesday, April 26th is Administrative Professionals Day. The academic administrative staff should have received details of our celebration via email. If you did not receive this information and should have, please email the Employee Engagement Committee.
Want to celebrate your admin? Consider submitting a PACT Card! |
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Team up and think of your favorite movie! Our administrative, clinical, education, finance, and research staff are having a door decorating contest.
Judging starts on Friday, April 28 and runs through Monday, May 1.
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Upcoming Events & Conferences |
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April 19: UTSW Compliance Training Deadline
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April 24-28: Door decorating contest
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April 26: Administrative Professionals' Day*
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May 24: 2nd Annual Ob/Gyn Research Symposium
*Details to come via email
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Recent Advertising Initiatives |
We are running the below print ad Dallas Medical Society and Tarrant County Physician through the end of September to recruit Ob/Gyns in the metroplex to join our team. |
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In March and April, we ran a variety of digital advertising to increase voting for U.S. News & World Report. |
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Our faculty and their work are often referenced by journalists regarding a range of topics. See some examples of recent features below:
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Our faculty have been busy writing excellent patient-centered information for UT Southwestern's MedBlog. Check out our recent blogs below:
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Did You Have Your Baby at UTSW? |
If you've had a baby at UT Southwestern (CUH or St. Paul), we would love to feature your family in a photo gallery on our patient-facing website.
Pictured: Ivette Molina, Clinical Staff Coordinator, and her family. Her children, Isaiah and Olivia, were both born at CUH.
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Did you/will you attend a Taylor Swift concert as part of the Eras Tour?
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Morgan Phillips
Marketing and Communications Specialist
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