Dear OBGYN Family,

It really is the beginning of May and next Sunday is Mother’s Day. A shout out to all the mothers, aunts, godmothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, and other amazing people that support us and our families.

Helping families grow and thrive is at the core of our department. Thank you to everyone that works so hard and makes the sacrifices, so others can have healthy pregnancies, happy deliveries, and be there when it goes wrong.

I am so proud of the difference you make.

Dee E. Fenner, MD

Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) takes place every year from April 11 –17. Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to:

Erica Marsh, MD, MSCI, FACOG, was interviewed by MSNBC about disparities in maternal mortality and what more can be done to keep black mothers safe.

1 in 8 couples has trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy.

Learn more about both male and female infertility from Michigan Medicine's panel of specialists, including our own Samantha Schon, MD.

Emma Lawrence, MD, MS, and coauthors recently published an article in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics comparing the efficacy of a standard (24-h) versus a shortened (12-h) regimen of intramuscular magnesium sulfate to prevent eclamptic seizures.

Anita Malone, MD, has been an instrumental leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts through her support of education at all levels, both in the department of OBGYN and at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her commitment to these efforts often extends beyond the traditional workday and confines of the hospital or classroom. Dr. Malone has also embedded diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into our department’s residency preparation courses and residency curriculum. Congratulations to Dr. Malone on this well-deserved honor!

Elizabeth Langen, MD, is the principal investigator (PI) on a new Health and Human Services award - "Bringing Cardio-Obstetrics from theory to practice: an integrated model for managing complex hypertensive disease in pregnancy and the postpartum period."

Ashley Hesson, MD, PhD, is the Co-Investigator.

Congratulations to Rosalyn Maben-Feaster, MD, MPH, and her team on receiving one of two 2022 IPE Awards for Innovation and Excellence!

These awards were established to recognize and celebrate demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarship, and/or leadership with regard to implementing and/or developing innovative, effective, and sustainable interprofessional education or practice across the U-M sciences schools.

This year’s 4th-annual awardees were selected from an unusually large group of strong nominations. Awards were presented at the University of Michigan Health Professions Education Day. Learn More.

The University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) recently announced the awardees of its 2022 Policy Sprint initiative.

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide a case that could restrict abortion services established in Roe v. Wade. In this scenario, Michigan residents seeking abortion care may need to travel out of state. Lauren Owens, MD, MPH, and her team will analyze data on the distance to abortion care by Michigan county, identify areas that are most likely to be affected by a ban, and examine whether distance to abortion care is associated with county-level maternal morbidity, racial composition, and socioeconomic status. Using the data, the team will create resources to inform policymakers about opportunities to address inequities in reproductive healthcare access across the state.

Team: Vanessa Dalton, MD, MPH, Sarah Compton, PhD, MPH, Lauren Oshman, MD, MPH, Rieham Owda, MD, and Faelan Jacobson-Davies, MS

The PLOS ONE Editorial Board is powered by thousands of academic experts from all over the world. The board comprises working scientists who are established principal investigators with extensive publication records.

Academic Editors oversee the peer review process for the journal, including evaluating submissions, selecting reviewers and assessing their comments, and making editorial decisions. Together with fellow Editorial Board Members and internal staff, Academic Editors uphold journal policies and ethics standards and work to promote the PLOS ONE mission to provide free public access to scientific research.

Karen McLean MD, PhD, has been selected to serve a 3-year term as a Member of the Conquer Cancer Foundation Grants Selection Committee.

Conquer Cancer has a mission to accelerate breakthroughs in lifesaving research and empower people everywhere to conquer cancer. Through their Grants & Awards Program, they are building a pipeline of future leaders and are supporting and encouraging excellence in clinical and translational research in the field of oncology. Since 1984, the Program has awarded more than $146 million in funding through over 2,400 grants and awards to medical students, residents, fellows, scientists, and oncologists in 78 countries.

An abstract by Amanda Schwartz, MD, was selected by The Endocrine Society for an Outstanding Abstract Award in conjunction with ENDO 2022 in Atlanta, GA. This travel award is sponsored by the Endocrine Society in the amount of $500.

Abstract Title: Active Testosterone Treatment Impairs In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Outcomes in a Female Mouse Model for Gender-Affirming Testosterone with Improvement in Outcomes Following Cessation of Testosterone Treatment

Save the date for our 2022 Resident and Fellow graduation ceremony.

Date: June 24, 2022

Time: 7:00 pm

Location: Ann Arbor City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

We hope to see you there to celebrate our graduates!

Monash University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is partnering with the World Endometriosis Society (WES) to host the Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Unlocked symposium, featuring Suzie As-Sanie, MD, MPH.

Date: May 27 (full-day) & May 28, 2022 (half-day)

Location: Zoom or Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, Victoria

The Office for Health Equity and Inclusion’s inaugural Michigan Medicine Youth Summit at the Big House is now open to Michigan Medicine faculty, staff, and learners!

This regional outreach event on Saturday, May 21st is aimed at engaging and exposing diverse middle school students from schools across southeast Michigan to Michigan Medicine health care.

Faculty members - please contact Emily Rivkin if you are interested in volunteering.

Immune-mediated diseases put women and birthing people, particularly people of color, at risk for not only pregnancy complications, but potential disease flares that could lead to poor health outcomes for the mother and child.

As we recognize International Women’s Day, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, in collaboration with Janssen Immunology Research & Development and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) Health of Women team, is proud to launch the Maternal-Fetal Immune Disorders QuickFire Challenge: Innovating for Health Equity.

Faculty are encouraged to submit grant applications by June 3rd, 2022.

The University of Michigan will host its annual Juneteenth celebration from June 15 to June 18, 2022. This year’s theme is “Celebrate, Educate, Inspire.”

Okeoma Mmeje, MD, MPH, has been invited to speak at a panel on "Improving Health Equity and Access for a Healthier Black Community." We hope you'll attend her session!

Date: June 15, 2022

Time: 1:00 - 2:30pm

Location: Rackham or Virtual

Mark your calendars! The 2022 Norman F. Miller University of Michigan Alumni Society Annual Meeting will be held on Friday, October 14th. The theme will be “Reproductive Health in 2022: The Health Care Provider’s Role in Access to Care, Health Policy, and Patient Advocacy.”

A variety of presentations and group discussions regarding current challenges and opportunities encountered by women’s health care providers and patients will be planned. The classes of 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 will be honored.

Alumni are also welcome to join the Department of ObGyn for a tailgate prior to the UM v Penn State football game on Saturday, October 15th. Additional information and registration materials will be sent in July. We hope to see you there!

Building Toward Belonging: Michigan Medicine Implicit Bias Training (LARA Compliant), developed by OHEI and the Office of Organizational Learning, will serve as the foundation for a continuous curriculum to help us evolve into a more respectful and inclusive culture.

This mandatory course educates our community about why inclusion matters and helps us identify key allyship behaviors that reduce the influence of implicit bias in decision-making and integrate strategies for mitigating bias in our daily work. It supports the BASE strategic priority of Belonging, and the Michigan Medicine strategic initiative of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

On March 29th a group of medical students, residents, and attendings held virtual meetings with our legislators in DC to advocate for maternal mental health resources and Medicare payment reform as part of ACOG’s Congressional Leadership Conference.

A round of applause for the Michigan Section of ACOG team, shown here with Senator Peter's Legislative Aid.

Congratulations to Mara D'Amico and family on their newest addition, baby Kareem!

Mara and her partner, Michael, welcomed baby Kareem Joseph Brouri-D'Amico on March 22, 2022, at 5:09 pm. Kareem was 6 lbs, 14 oz, and 19 inches long.

Congratulations to our residents on a successful 2022 Sager Day!

Sager Day is a time-honored tradition honoring Dr. Abram Sager, the first Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and the first Dean of the

University of Michigan Medical School, and highlighting the hard work of our current residents.

Congratulations to Beverly Shackelford, who is retiring after 27 years of service to the University of Michigan. Beverly has worked for the Department of OBGYN for nine years on the surgery scheduling team.