This year we are very proud to welcome Michal A. Elovitz, MD, a renowned expert in maternal fetal medicine, as the first Dean for Women’s Health and founding Director of the Institute of Female Biology. Her goal is to advance understanding of an understudied area—the biology that drives health and disease in women.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion has been banned in 15 states, and high-risk pregnant patients face far more restrictive options in many more states. The Division of Complex Family Planning, led by Monica Dragoman, MD, MPH, and Adam Jacobs, MD, is at the center of Mount Sinai’s response to the challenges that have arisen, with a commitment to clinical care and medical education.
In further instances of our advanced and compassionate care, a 41-year-old patient with a history of endometriosis and more than 78 fibroids delivered a full-term infant with care overseen by Charles Ascher-Walsh, MD, and Jane Owen, DO. In another highly complex case, a young mother with severe congenital heart defects delivered safely with a multidisciplinary team approach. This case was also a true testament to our Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, which has expanded to include a diverse group of faculty with expertise in conditions affecting maternal and fetal well-being.
Same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ people, who face unique challenges in their pursuit of building a family, were offered a range of options—informed by research and a commitment to health equity and inclusion—by Mount Sinai, in partnership with Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York. And Mount Sinai launched the Bridge Program, an initiative that provides integrated and prenatal care and substance-use treatment, addressing an increasing need among pregnant people
Our research continued to advance knowledge of women’s health. A qualitative study led by renowned gynecologic oncologist Stephanie V. Blank, MD, explored the clinical and nonclinical reasons people who are at higher risk of developing ovarian cancer due to an inherited genetic mutation are considering risk-reducing salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy.
Structural racism was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 infection and preterm births, in a study that is part of the Generation C project, following Mount Sinai participants through pregnancy and birth amid the pandemic. Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, and her team in the Mount Sinai Women’s Mental Health Program worked with researchers in OB/GYN and Psychiatry to fill knowledge gaps about the impacts of mental illnesses and their treatments on the health and well-being of both the parent and child.
We invite you to explore our 2023 Specialty Report to learn more about Mount Sinai and our commitment to research innovation, physician training, and the advanced, compassionate, and equitable care of our patients.
Joanne Stone, MD, MS
Chair and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai