June 6, 2013 Volume 5, Issue 1

This is my last quarterly Chair’s letter. In June, I will step down from this privileged position after eleven years to re-enter medicine full time, joining Henry Hess as part of a Gyn practice within our Department focused on the midlife issues of women. Perhaps it is a product of age or perhaps nostalgia, but it seems appropriate to look back at some of the key events that have transpired since I first relocated to Rochester in 1986 that trace the history of this Department.

I apologize to those I may have inadvertently overlooked as I look back at our collective history. Many of these events were built on the broad shoulders and accomplishments of Henry Thiede, who served as Chair until his retirement in 1995, David Guzick, who chaired this department from 1995-2002 before becoming our Dean, and whatever part I was able to play as Chair from 2002 to the present.

Let me start by thanking all the nurses, nurse practitioners and social workers who have made my life, and that of the entire faculty, such an enriched experience. Names such as Sue Zigrossi, Ann Dozier, Deb Phillips, Pat Allen, and Mardy Sandler come to mind, all dedicated to a common goal, the best and safest care for our patients.

Our success as a clinical program committed to advancing our specialty could not have occurred without the dedication, and often unsung efforts, of our support staff, many of whom have been with us for decades. As I look around, I see faces of those who throughout the years have been steadfastly loyal to our goals and passionate about their part in that process.

of

1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Chair’s Corner 1 - 5

Love Letters 6

Peri-FACTS Authors 6

Ob/Gyn Service Council 6

Congratulations 7 - 8

Lean on L&D 8

ORA Flash: NIAID Updates 8

New Statue at Lattimore 9

Lattimore Anniversary 9

Resident Research Day 10

30 Years of IVF at URMC 11

A Note from Beth Cooper 12

PIVOT for Grant Funding 12

CARE After Cancer 13

New Grant Awards 13

Meet the New Interns 14

Community Updates 15 - 16

A New Chapter

(continued on page 2)

Ob/Gyn Inside Story

of

Chair’s Corner

Chair’s Corner (Continued)

2

I accepted the job of Division Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine in 1984, but because I was writing my first book on Communication in Medicine, Dr. Thiede agreed to wait until the summer of 1986 for my arrival. That year our epidural rate was 10%. Today, in contrast, it is over 60%.

Upon arrival at URMC, the MFM division was in transition. Jules Moodley had just left for Cleveland and, within a year, Yogesh Shah would join him. Steve Sanko had just finished his MFM fellowship and joined us; Jeanne Cullinan was already in the division; David Graham was both MFM and Radiology (ultrasound), and Larry Dolkart was our first MFM fellow.

Within a few short years, Graham would relocate, Cullinan would move to Philadelphia to run a women’s imaging center (but sadly would later die of cancer), Sanko would join a private group (RGOA), and Dolkart would return to a successful MFM career in Elmira, New York.

With only David Sherer and Howard Thompson as my MFM fellows, and no other faculty but me, it was a relief when Jacques Abramowicz joined the division, followed by Richard Jaffe. Together, we guided the expansion of Ob and Gyn ultrasound outside the hospital. Today, under Eva Pressman, we provide an amazing network across the city.

In time, MFM expanded. Ruth Anne and John Queenan joined us from South Carolina where John was running a successful REI program. Eva Pressman relocated from Johns Hopkins and later would become a great MFM Division Director.

During those early years, the program was growing and changing constantly, but some components provided stability. Marvin Amstey was Chief of Ob/Gyn at Highland Hospital, devoting time to medical student and resident teaching. Bob Tatelbaum headed up Genesee Hospital and Phyllis Leppert chaired Rochester General Hospital. Phyllis and I were fierce competitors. However, at one annual ACOG meeting we danced together and we were good! At Strong, I recall Al Jones mentoring resident care in our small outpatient hallway while posting the “case of the week” to challenge our residents. He would later become the Chief of Ob/Gyn at Unity Health Systems.

In those early years, the clinical divisions were also changing. Gyn Oncology was initially directed by Jack Beecham, with Cindy Angel and Brent DuBeshter finishing their fellowships. Jack would depart to Vermont, leaving the growth of the division to Cindy and Brent. It ultimately grew, with some speed bumps as other Gyn Oncologists came and then departed. Today this group of four is the busiest group of Gyn Oncologists in New York State.

The Reproductive Endocrinology Division had a more circuitous path of growth. When I arrived in 1986, Eberhard Muechler and Ko-En Huang were conducting IVF and Grace Centola was coordinating the sperm bank. Eb would later leave the University to join another health system and Ko-En would become a senior leader

(continued on page 3)

3(continued on page 4)

in Taiwan. Grace would leave URMC for a private blood banking company. The next division faculty was John Mattox who held the division together until he departed for Arizona. Shortly thereafter, we were led to the real deal. Vivian Lewis had just moved to San Francisco when we notified her of the opening of this leadership position. Because circumstances had delayed her establishing a base in San Francisco, she accepted our invitation, and the rest is history. A great division now headed by Kathy Hoeger has five faculty and one of the longest-running and most successful IVF programs in New York State.

Urogynecology also took a winding path. Our initial faculty member, Hillary Cholhan, departed for Rochester General Hospital, and Gunhilde Buchsbaum took charge, building the division to three before one, Mike Flynn, moved to head the Division of Urogynecology at the University of Massachusetts. By this fall, the division will be back to three, and is the go-to group for significant pelvic floor disorders.

Our Nurse Midwives have always been part of our foundation. Begun by Beth Cooper under the wise leadership of Dr. Thiede, they rapidly grew to be not only an integrated part of our clinical enterprise but also of our educational programs. Skills learned by a medical student or younger resident under the watchful eye of a midwife have provided a lifetime foundation for compassionate care.

What about the generalists in the Department? Under David Guzick, David Foster and Fred Howard expanded their expertise in vulvar disease and laparoscopic surgery respectively to address the question “who teaches our residents general Ob/Gyn care?” From an early departmental need developed what is now one of our largest divisions. Sireesha Reddy served initially as Division Director. Subsequently Adrienne Bonham, the current Division Director, took a strong hand in establishing an academic orientation for each of the division members. Out of that group have emerged experts in family planning, pediatric gynecology, midlife women’s health, pelvic pain management, and vulvar disease.

Despite all the good that was happening, dark clouds were on the horizon. In time, the residency that had expanded to include all four hospitals would be brought back to Strong, Highland, and Genesee. Later, Genesee Hospital would close.

Our research program has always been oriented toward bringing the clinician and the scientist closer. Early on, we made our mark through Rich Miller’s placental perfusion model, my cocaine studies in pregnant sheep, and Patty Rodier’s autism research (aided by Chris Stodgell). Later, Ron Wood would advance Urogynecology in the mouse model, Shanna Swan would expand environmental chemical effects in pregnancy, Shawn Murphy would champion studies of placental infections, and others focused on lead exposure, vulvodynia, and polycystic ovarian disease. With this commitment to research, one year we ranked number one nationally among Ob/Gyn departments for NIH research dollars in environmental chemical studies,

Chair’s Corner (Continued)

4

Chair’s Corner (Continued)

and second overall for Ob/Gyn department for total NIH research dollars. Moreover while these investigators have contributed much scientifically, the development of the Office of Research Administration, now led by Emily Barrett and Rebecca Rowley, has provided a platform supporting investigators to develop grants and manage budgets, and for young investigators to find their footing.

Critical to our success as a Department has always been the strong commitment from our community physicians. Many of us recall fondly Tichell, Clay, Choate, Fullerton, and many others. Their patients, and the education these physicians offered our residents, were part of the backbone of our Department. Later Warner, Stookey, and others would carry the banner. What a great group to be so dedicated to our program.

The brick and mortar footprint of our Department’s outpatient services significantly changed over the years. In the mid-1990s, REI and MFM initially moved offsite but later relocated back into the ambulatory building of Strong Memorial. General Gyn and Urogyn also moved offsite, recognizing the need for a single subspecialty facility. So in 2007, our 21,000 square foot subspecialty building, consisting of REI, MFM, Gyn Specialties, and Urogynecology, was opened at Red Creek near Marketplace Mall. Shortly thereafter, we began our search for a similar site closer to Strong Memorial Hospital to provide comprehensive general Ob/Gyn care. After two false starts, in 2012 we opened our new Lattimore Women’s Center, also a 21,000 square foot center just four blocks from Strong. This step left Strong Hospital as an inpatient-only facility and placed all of our outpatient services offsite, providing patients with free parking and easy access. Tara Gellasch became our first official Medical Director for the Women’s Health Practice at Lattimore Women’s Center.

Education has always remained one of our highest priorities and over the decades, we engaged in several different educational models. Our first regional Perinatal Conference was held in 1987 at the Holiday Inn. Starting with 70 participants, it would run for over 25 years and grow to engage 400 physicians and nurses. The first Friday combined perinatal-neonatal weekly conference also began in 1987, later to be referred to as “Shark Rounds” although I do not know why. Along the way, to promote women’s health, we ran a golf tournament for two years, and for the past five years we have coordinated an annual Women’s Health Screening Fair at the Rochester Public Market, screening over 400 women during a four hour period on a Saturday in September.

Who would have ever thought back in 1991, when we first initiated Peri-FACTS (called Peri-FACTS then because of the limited technology), that today that educational journal would reach over 30,000 nurses, physicians and students in Obstetrics and Gynecology?

(continued on page 5)

Chair’s Corner (Continued)

Early on, David Baram and Tony Labrum provided the psychosocial Ob/Gyn teaching to residents and students, Diane Hartmann marshaled the residents, and our Maternal Fetal Fellowship continued to be productive. Diane’s resident director role would shift to Ruth Anne Queenan as Diane took a more national role in education. Later Ruth Anne would pass the residency directorship to our current Erin Duecy, as Ruth Anne became Chief of Ob/Gyn at Highland Hospital.

New fellowships have also been founded. Our long-standing MFM fellowship would be joined by our Urogynecology fellowship and the Scibetta Minimally Invasive Fellowship, training academic leaders who will write the next chapters of their respective clinical fields.

We have been blessed by a long history of outstanding residents. There have been so many over the years we’ve been together. To name just a few: Polly Rounds, Steve Dewey, Sandra Stell, John McAndrew, Linda Syiek, Ellen Tourtelot, the Johnsons, Mary Jo Montanarella, but of course there are far too many to name them all. But side by side over the decades they worked many hours in the hospital and always ensured that patients received exceedingly good care.

Finally, it is my personal tribute to the leadership of Henry Thiede, and later David Guzick, that such a fine Department evolved.

As the torch is now passed to the new Chair, how does it feel? It feels great. This is a wonderful Department and the success we have enjoyed together is truly the legacy of all the extraordinary men and women who have preceded us. I will always be grateful for the honor and privilege of having been part of this proud story and I end my term as chair confident that our department’s future is in the right hands.

5

Dr. Woods wishes to thank all of the faculty and residents who have written articles for Peri-FACTS in the past couple of years. In total, ten (10) articles have been by residents with faculty backup. These Ob or Gyn articles have been well written and the feed back we have received has been very positive. Seventeen (17) articles have been by fellows. In each case they have been focused and well done. Woods’s reason for passing this information on is because if any of the residents wish to consider writing with a fellow or faculty member in the near future, Peri-FACTS have a long list of possible Ob and Gyn topics from which to choose.

Interested? Contact Woods or just stop into his office to look over the topics to see if any interest you. While most of the Peri-FACTS readership is in the U.S., the journal is being read in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Emirates, and on military bases in Europe. After an article is published, it is posted in a library for any care provider who needs CME credits and chooses to study the particular topic that the article addresses. This allows outside care providers beyond our subscribers to access the work.

Peri-FACTS Issues Call for Authors

6

Love Letters: An Anthology of Constructive Relationship Advice Shared Between Junior Mentees and Their Mentors In late January, the authors of a recent article in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education: “Love Letters: An Anthology of Constructive Relationship Advice Shared Between Junior Mentees and Their Mentors” held a panel discussion open to all members of the University. The panel included: Loralei L. Thornburg, MD, Suzanne M. Gillespie, MD, RD, Thomas V. Caprio, MD, MPH, Annette Medina-Walpole, MD, and Christopher Glantz, M.D., M.P.H.

Love Letters - Mentees and Mentors

Ob/Gyn Service Council

The newest Ob/Gyn Service Council “Strong Beginnings Spotlight” is Nancy McKnight, MD!

Please be sure to stop by and check it out!

This board is located across from the triage window near the red elevators.

This inter-unit staff recognition project “spotlights” a staff member form any discipline across the service including but not limited to nursing, residents, attendings ,secretaries, environmental service and technicians.

Enjoy,

The Ob/Gyn Service Council

The event began with the panelists discussing their own frustrations and good advice on improving the mentor-mentee relationship. It was a multidisciplinary panel and included both mentees and mentors. A lively and informal group discussion followed with the participants. Feedback from the participants was extremely positive- the overwhelming majority rated the event as “Very Helpful.” The comments from the participants further expressed appreciation for the breadth of perspectives on mentoring from the panel, the frank conversation, and the explanation of the sensitive aspects of mentoring that were discussed.

Congratulations!Congratulations to Patricia Jones, who celebrated 40 years of service at the University of Rochester in Obstetrics and Gynecology on March 12th. Jones is a member of the Billing department and works closely with the Labor & Delivery deck on the third floor. She states that she feels like it’s only been 25 years!

Jones is still going strong. She has fond memories of working at the hospital and remembers so many staff, some of whom have retired or left the University. The stories she could tell!!

If you get a chance send an email of congratulations! Forty years is a huge milestone.

CONGRATULATIONS!

7

Papers, Presentations, and Abstracts Jen Myers (with mentor Erin Duecy) presented her resident research as a poster at APGO/CREOG meeting in Phoenix in March. Myers’ well-received work is titled “Half-day vs. Full-day Resident Clinics and the impact on continuity, provider satisfaction and inpatient workflow.”

Emily Barrett, Lauren Parlett, Shanna Swan, and their team published “Prenatal exposure to stressful life events is associated with masculinized anogenital distance (AGD) in female infants” in Physiology & Behavior.

William Curtin, Nancy L. Stanwood, and their team (which also includes Erin Lemcke-Berno) published “Midtrimester Fetal Herpes Simplex-2 Diagnosis by Serology, Culture and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction”in Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy.

Tom O’Connor, Eva Pressman, and Emma Robertson-Blackmore, et al published“Prenatal maternal anxiety predicts reduced adaptive immunity in infants” in Brain, behavior, and immunity.

“High-frequency ultrasound in ex vivo animal lungs in pulmonary edema“ was published in the Journal of Anesthesiology & Clinical Science by Jacek Wojtczak and Ron Wood.

Timothy Byler, Ronald Wood, Edward Messing, Jay Reeder and their team presented their abstract, “Valproic acid reduces tumor growth in a mouse model of superficial bladder cancer” at the AUA Meeting in May.

Tristan Nicholson, Ronald Wood, William Ricke, and their team presented their abstract “Bisphenol-A induces urinary voiding dysfunction in adult male mice” at the AUA Meeting.

Jed-Sian Cheng, Yachao Zhang, Ronald Wood, and Jay Reeder presented an abstract titled “Visualization of ureteral anatomy during surgery using near infrared fluorescence enhanced by milk” at the AUA meeting.

Camille Martina, Shanna Swan, and Bernie Weiss published “Lifestyle behaviors associated with exposures to endocrine disruptors” in Neurotoxicology.

Chris Stodgell, Rich Miller, and their colleagues published “The effect of copper deficiency on fetal growth and liver anti-oxidant capacity in the Cohen diabetic rat model”in Toxicol. Appl.Pharmacol.

Scott Gerber, Shawn Murphy, Edith Lord, and their team published an article titled “IFN-gamma Mediates the Antitumor Effects of Radiation Therapy in a Murine Colon Tumor” in the American Journal of Pathology.

Shanna Swan, Bernie Weiss, and the BPA GO Team published, “Sex specific impact of perinatal Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure over a range of orally administered doses on rat hypothalamic sexual differentiation” in Neurotoxicology.

Jay Reeder, Ron Wood, David Foster, and their colleagues published “Polymorphism in the SCN9A voltage-gated sodium channel gene associated with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome” in Urology.

Ron Wood, et al published “Efficacy of B cell depletion therapy for murine joint arthritis flare is associated with increased lymphatic flow” in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Congratulations! (Continued)

8

ORA Flash: Great Advice

from NIAIDKeep Your eRA Commons

Profile From Becoming Your Enemy

With so many electronic systems at NIH, it’s more important than ever to keep your eRA Commons profiles well-maintained and up to date.

Next Step for Ten Steps to a Winning R01 Application

With the advent of Spring, NIAID has freshened up their excellent series Ten Steps to a Winning R01 Application. Check out the Ten Steps here before starting your next application.

National Media SpotlightEmily Barrett was interviewed by URMC Scripts about results from the Rochester Young Men’s Study (RYMS) which linked poor semen quality with increased TV watching.

Reuters carried a story reporting on the link new research has revealed between an epilepsy drug, if taken during pregnancy, and autism in children. URMC’s Christopher Stodgell, associate professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, who studies autism, weighed in. Get the story by clicking here.

The Huffington Post carried URMC Obstetrics & Gynecology professor Kathy Hoeger’s comments on a study that suggested a low-carb, high-protein diet may increase fertility. Hoeger said more study is needed. Read the article by clicking here.

Brandy Becker was quoted in Contemporary OB/Gyn for her research with Sarah Betstadt on knowledge of the risks of pregnancy and contraception presented at ACOG.

Other AwardsDr. Miller is the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Service Award from the Teratology Society which was given to him at the annual meeting. This award is in recognition of Miller’s dedicated years of service to the Society, from his early participation and continued leadership roles to his current involvement.

The Society writes, “Your expertise in Teratology is well known and respected internationally and your own research is exemplary. Your continuously-funded research in environmental and occupational exposures as well as human placenta pharmacokinetic studies resulted in many seminal papers in the field of teratology. Your continuous mentorship activities deserve a special recognition. Many active contributing members to the Teratology Society have been in your laboratory. In summary, through these and other numerous contributions you have left an indelible mark on The Teratology Society and the field of birth defects research at large. You embody perfectly what this award is meant to recognize.”

Until recently, there were different delivery carts for the units 3-1400 and 3-1600. Attendings and staff had concerns about the difference and brought it to the attention of leadership. Keri Cockman and Jamie Gallery agreed that the delivery carts within the units as well across units should be organized in the same way so that anyone using them would be familiar with the contents.

Dawn Martin and Sarah Chopan took on the challenge of standardizing the 3-1600 Birth Center carts and have done a great job organizing and simplifying the carts for easier access. Martin took this challenge on for a project and did a great job!

The carts now contain labels, photographs, and reference charts to indicate where each item is stored. This will improve stocking of the carts and help ensure no items in the carts are expired.

In addition, the Birth Center has loaned one of their carts to 3-1400 as a model for organizing the carts on that unit . Many thanks to the Birth Center for sharing their ideas and equipment with the 3-1400 unit. It is very much appreciated and as Cockman put it so nicely, “It’s great that we are able to work together across the service on projects!”

Lean Improvements to Labor and Delivery

At the end of May, a statue was installed in front of the Lattimore Road Women’s Center. Following six years of work, the granite statue stands as a tribute to the interconnectedness of women’s lives. The artist’s statement is on a plaque near the door:

“Caring

Women are blessed with a strength that represents the divine because they create life. The woman emerges from the stone in an embrace of mutual caring. Their arms encircle one another and give strength and balance.

The essence of the sculpture is flowing. The stone flows with peacefulness that I hope stimulates the viewer’s [sic] minds to contemplate how much we all need each other. Everything in the universe follows the cycle of birth, growth, maturity, death, and rebirth. Understanding this concept brings peace and healing within.”

In the coming weeks bushes will be planted around the sculpture to soften the image.

Statue to Honor Women

9

Women’s Health at The Lattimore Road

Women’s Center Celebrates First

AnniversaryThe first anniversary of our space was celebrated during a luncheon on April 12th. It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since the move into our new home at 125 Lattimore Road.

After all the preparations, anxiety and anticipation we are here and have settled in. The move was a huge undertaking which was compounded by going live with Ambulatory eRecord a short time afterward.

The fresh colors, ample windows, and spacious break room are a welcome change from our previous space and the large clinical area allows us to serve our patients with excellence.

Resident Research Day was held this year on April 25. Seven R3s and one R2 presented their research. The day kicked-off with a Grand Rounds by Dr. Richard S. Legro, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Public Health Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey Medical Center. He spoke about the challenge of getting, and interpreting, good quality data and of reproducing those findings, as well as the lack of publication of negative trials in interpretation of literature, in a lecture entitled: “First Line Treatment in PCOS: What have we learned from Clinical Trials.”

The residents this year put together a great group of research projects, from a wide variety of areas of interest. They all did a wonderful job, and award winners will be announced at the banquet.

Topics this year included:

• Do increased peripheral markers of inflammation predate the occurrence of a short cervical length? Dr. Olson-Chen with Dr. Hackney

• Early pregnancy iron status and development of preeclampsia Dr. Campito with Dr. Ho.

• Cervical length in women with a prior preterm birth: Does progesterone change the incidence of short cervix? Dr. Klosterman with Dr. Seligman

10

Education Corner: Resident Research Day

• Prenatal stomach size in cleft lip and/or palate and subsequent reflux disease Dr. Burhans with Dr. Thornburg

• Time of Delivery of the Anomalous Fetus - Effects on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Dr. Paivanas with Dr. Thornburg and Dr. Glantz

• Does anogenital distance, a marker of prenatal androgen exposure, differ in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)? Dr. Fountaine with Dr. Barrett and Dr. Hoeger

• Timing of Delivery and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Dr. MacDonald with Dr. Glantz and Dr. Thornburg

• Impact of Delivery Mode on the Pelvic Floor using Transperineal Imaging Dr. Vilasagar with Dr. Ozcan

Next year’s research day will be on May 8th, 2014. Residents have been hard at work with a number of great projects underway! Some have already been presented nationally, including one presented as an oral at this year’s ACOG meeting. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Jeffery Peipert, whose work on the cost effectiveness of IUDs in preventing unintended pregnancy in women and teens The CHOICE Project was recently featured in both the NEJM and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Please mark your calendars and block your schedule for what is sure to be a great talk, and great day of resident projects!

Dr. Henry Thiede’s Vision Launched One of New York State’s Most Successful Programs

Just four short years after the birth of the world’s first “test-tube baby,” Henry A. Thiede, M.D., proposed the creation of an in vitro fertilization program (IVF), at the University of Rochester Medical Center. IVF is a process by which eggs are fertilized in a laboratory and then transferred to a woman’s uterus in order to implant for pregnancy.

On Friday, May 3, URMC’s Strong Fertility Center celebrated 30 years of helping families grow through IVF by honoring Thiede. A retired chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and professor emeritus, Thiede’s vision helped create one of the first in vitro fertilization programs in New York state. Thiede’s contributions were highlighted at Strong Fertility Center’s annual IVF Family Reunion, a private party at the Rochester Museum and Science Center.

“It is a great privilege to pay tribute to the physician whose wisdom and vision launched one of the earliest successful programs for in vitro fertilization and the longest-running program in upstate New York,” said Strong Fertility Center director Kathleen M. Hoeger, M.D., professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at URMC. “What better way to show our appreciation than to surround Dr. Thiede with the physicians and staff he inspired and mentored, and the families who’ve benefitted from his commitment to providing optimal services to our community.”

Following Thiede’s proposal in November 1982, physicians began the first IVF treatment cycle in July 1983, achieving the first pregnancy on the sixth attempt. The program’s first birth occurred in July 1984.

Strong Fertility Center Marks IVF Program’s 30-Year Anniversary by Honoring its Founder

11

“When we reflect on those who have influenced our professional lives, we turn to individuals dedicated to improving medicine, public health and community welfare. Dr. Thiede spent his entire career addressing these three areas,” said James R. Woods, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology who holds the professorship in Thiede’s name. “It is his shoulders upon which the success of our Department rests.”

Henry Thiede and Kathy Hoeger

12

A Note from Beth Cooper

Dear colleagues:

Effective July 1, I will be stepping down from the role of Midwifery Division Director to provide time to pursue leadership opportunities at the state and national level. It is my intention to maintain some clinical practice, primarily at the Red Creek office, assist with some new Department initiatives, and spend more time with my family.

As many of you know, I have been on the faculty of the Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology since 1975, when Dr. Henry Thiede gave me the opportunity to become the first nurse-midwife practicing in upstate New York. For the last 23 years I have had the opportunity to develop, direct, and provide care in the Midwifery Division’s practice, first at Strong, and since 2000, at Highland. Since 1999, I have also served as Director of RAMP.

I am privileged to have dedicated, skilled midwifery colleagues who provide the highest standard of care to our patients and their families. I know that the Division will continue to flourish under their leadership. While recruitment is underway for my successor, Michele Burtner will assume many of my current administrative responsibilities. Helene Thompson-Scott will continue her leadership in RAMP. I am extremely grateful to them for their commitment of time and talent.

I want to express my deepest appreciation to my many mentors in midwifery, obstetrics-gynecology, nursing, pediatrics, hospital administration, higher education, and public health, both in Rochester and in the national midwifery community. Without their guidance and support, the URMC Midwifery Group would not exist.

Elizabeth M. Cooper, CNM, FACNM, EdD

ORA Flash: Looking for Grant

Opportunities? Check out PIVOT!

We’re excited to let you know that the University now has a new funding opportunities and profile software product called Pivot.

Pivot focuses on what matters most to you: the ability to identify and connect with funding opportunities and with other researchers locally and globally. It combines a comprehensive database of funding opportunities with a unique database of 3 million scholar profiles and growing.

Your GENUIS/SMARTS/SPIN profile was loaded into the PIVOT system and can be used to match you with colleagues and grant opportunities.

Click here to claim your profile and start finding opportunities: https://pivot.cos.com/

For assistance in using PIVOT or to get started with your application, just send an email to Rebecca Rowley at rebecca_rowley@urmc.rochester.edu.

13

C.A.R.E. After Cancer Event

The annual C.A.R.E. After Cancer Event and Silent Auction to benefit cancer survivors was held on March 1 at Artisan Works. The event raises funds to assist women with childbearing after recovery from cancer.

Wendy Vitek, director of the CARE program, and Jim Woods, Chair of Ob/Gyn, lead the night’s festivities.

Jeanne Marino, Anne Tedrow, Lynda Kochman, Kathy Hoeger, Chief of the Division of REI, and Bill Hoeger enjoy the evening’s events.

Dave Martin and David Gandell put down their bids.

ORA Flash:

New Grant AwardsTara Gellasch and Ellen Poleshuck were awarded a grant by the Genesee Valley Medical Foundation for “Caring for Growing Families: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Group Prenatal Care in a Community Ob/Gyn Clinic.”

Ellen Poleshuck and her team (including Tara Gellasch) were awarded a Patient Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI) award to study effective treatments for depression in impoverished women.

Elizabeth Marie Bard

BS, Biology and English, University of Wisconsin

MD, University of Minnesota Medical School

Lauren L. Coyle

BS, Psychology, Penn State University

MD, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine

Beatriz Folch Torres-Aguiar

BS, Biology, Univ. of Puerto Rico

MS, Health Profession Education U of R Warner School of Education

MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Ethan Gable

BS, Psychology with concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience, University at Buffalo SUNY School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

MD, University at Buffalo State University of New York School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Education Corner: Welcome the New Intern Class!

14

Whitney Anne Hanan

BS, Cellular Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Washington

MD, University of Washington School of Medicine

Stefanie Joy Hollenbach

BS & MS, Biomedical Engineering Neuroengineering, Drexel University

MD, The Commonwealth Medical College

Tessa Lynn Reisinger

BA, Anthropology/Biology, University of Delaware

MD, Emory University School of Medicine

Daniel George Terk

BA, Journalism; BS, Chemistry, University of Massachusetts

MD, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Faculty PromotionsJacqueline Nasso, CNM, MS was promoted to Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology effective February 1, 2013.

New FacultyThe following physicians have joined the full-time faculty in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Highland Hospital:

Brianne Brandt-Griffith, MD was promoted to Assistant Professor effective May 1, 2013.

Joan Chisholm, MD was promoted to Assistant Professor effective February 4, 2013.

Marcy Mulconry, MD was promoted to Assistant Professor effective March 1, 2013.

DeparturesCarolyn Leja, CNM, MS will be leaving our Department effective April 30, 2013 to relocate to Michigan.

Lauren Parlett accepted the position of Senior Research Data Analyst at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology starting May 1, 2013. Parlett has been working with Emily Barrett, Rick Stahlhut, and Eva Pressman on a variety of studies relating to environmental exposures.

New Staff MembersThe Strong Fertility Center welcomes Sean Hickey. Dana Prince, Lindsay Azzolina, and Tammy Steurrys to their team.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

15

Let us know what you think of

Ob/Gyn Inside Story!We’ve recently updated our look and want to know what you think. Also, if you have something you’d like to add to our next edition, a comment, or a concern, please email Rebecca Rowley at rebecca_rowley@urmc.rochester.edu

Ob/Gyn @ URMC

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry is a leader in patient care, investigative research, and

obstetric education.

The Faculty is dedicated to promoting excellence in all

areas that support women’s health.

The Department is proud to offer care to our patients

by physicians who were ranked among the

nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Hospitals list.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

601 Elmwood AvenueBox 668

Rochester, NY 14642

Phone: 585-275-9306 Fax: 585-275-7366

New ArrivalsMichele Burtner, CNM and her husband Curtis Burtner, RN welcomed their third child, Fiona Marian Burtner on December 1,2012. She was assisted by fellow midwife, Rebecca Skovgaard, CNM.

Mitchell and Laura Linder welcomed their second child Emmett Mark on April 2, 2013. He weighed 7lbs, 2oz. Big sister Bridget is delighted to have a baby brother.

Tracy and Neil Seligman, and big sister Samantha, welcomed Eliana Sadie on March 19, 2013 at 6:54pm. Eliana weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 20 inches long.

COMMUNITY UPDATES (continued)

#The faculty and staff of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center are proud of the work we do in caring for women throughout the lifespan. Your tax deductible contribution advances our mission of excellence in patient care, research and education.

Make a secure transaction with your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or AMEX at

http://www.rochester.edu/advancement

Make sure you specify in the comments that you wish you to direct your gift to Ob/Gyn and the specific program within the Department.

Thank you for your generosity!

Eliana Sadie