April Wrap-Up

Apr. 22, 2025

Research, Best Maternity Hospital Distinction, Faculty in the News, and More!

Presentations at the Society for Reproductive Investigation

University of Rochester ObGyn faculty and trainees presented their research at the Society for Reproductive Investigation 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting.

Here is a list of the presentations, with links to the posters and abstract:

Oral Presentation
Neonatal outcomes in obese patients administered betamethasone: a national perspective
Linda Zimeng Gao^‡*, Shaun Wesley^‡*, Alesaundra Zywicki^||*, and Sarah Crimmins^*

Oral Presentations
Evaluation of inflammatory markers throughout pregnancy reveals diverging patterns for individuals who ultimately develop preeclampsia
Danielle Martin^||*, Linda Zimeng Gao^‡*, Stefanie Hollenbach^‡*

Neonatal Outcomes Following Betamethasone Administration in Patients with Class III Obesity
Linda Zimeng Gao^‡*, Alexsaundra Zywicki^||*, Madeline Babb^§, Sara Caveglia^*, Carrie Irvine^*, Sarah Crimmins^*

Adjunctive MRI for Placenta Accreta Spectrum Carries High Costs Without Added Benefit
Karina Hiroshige^§, Zoe Lewin^§, Timothy Olsen^§, Simran Siddalingaiah^§, Courtney Olson-Chen^‡*

Trajectory of sFlt-1 and PlGF in Individuals that Develop Pre-eclampsia Compared to Control Group
Logan P. Todhunter^||*, Catherine Yount^§, Richard Miller^*, Kristin Scheible, Emily Barrett^*, Jessica Brunner^*, Sarah Crimmins^*

* Denotes current member of the University of Rochester Department of ObGyn
† Denotes a current fellow in the University of Rochester MFM Fellowship Program
‡ Denotes a Graduate of the University of Rochester MFM Fellowship Program
§ Denotes a University of Rochester MD or PhD Candidate
|| Denotes a current University of Rochester ObGyn Resident

Strong Memorial Hospital Earns Maternity Care Distinction

Strong Memorial Hospital is among the Best Maternity Care Hospitals in the country, according to Newsweek's 2025 rank list.

According the publication, "[t]his annual ranking recognizes the top maternity hospitals in the U.S., spotlighting institutions that excel in providing exceptional care throughout the pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period."

ObGyn Department Chair, Dr. Eva K. Pressman, reflects on the news:

While no ranking system is perfect, this system incorporates quality metrics and patient satisfaction, in addition to national reputation.

Everyone involved in labor and delivery at Strong Memorial Hospital works hard to provide compassionate, evidence-based, excellent care, and it is rewarding to see their work reflected in this distinction.
Dr. Pressman

Faculty Members Answer Questions About BV

A New England Journal of Medicine article entitled, "Male-Partner Treatment to Prevent Recurrence of Bacterial Vaginosis", published in March, led many in the Rochester area to question their understanding of bacterial vaginosis. Seeing an uptick in searches about BV and men, and whether BV is a sexually transmitted infection, the University of Rochester Medical Center Communications team asked members of the ObGyn department to provide clarity for our community. Dr. Erin Duecy and Dr. Joseph Panza answered the call. You can read their article here, as part of URMC's Health Living Blog.

ObGyn Faculty in the News

Dr. Ayesha Turner and Dr. Devin Williams on News10NBC

On April 14th, Dr. Ayesha Turner and Dr. Devin Williams of Highland Women's Health sat down for an interview with News10NBC, to discuss Black Maternal Health during the Black Mamas Matter Alliance's annual Black Maternal Health Week.

Dr. Devin Williams is interviewed in the Highland Women's Health Office. A banner at the bottom of the screen reads "Dr. Devin Williams. OBGYN"

During the interview, Drs. Williams and Turner review the continued disparities in maternal mortality between white and Black pregnant people, and explain how the increased rate of morbidity and mortality Black women experience cannot be attributed to differences in socioeconomic status. Dr. Williams make it clear that racism, rather than race, is at the heart of the issue.

Dr. Ayesha Turner answers questions on tv in the Highland Women's Health office. A banner at the bottom reads "Dr. Ayesha Turner, OBGYN"

Drs. Turner and Williams also encourage Black patients to continue to advocate for themselves, and to continue speaking up if they feel they are not being heard. Dr. Williams also mentions that having a supportive community, potentially including birth doulas, can be beneficial for Black women, and any marginalized patient, in maternity care.

Dr. Loralei Thornburg Interviewed on Spectrum News

The Director of University of Rochester's Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, Dr. Loralei Thornburg, sat down with Spectrum 1 News to discuss Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's recent op-ed about maternal mortality data collection in New York State.

The op-ed, titled, "N.Y. mothers should not be dying in childbirth" was published in the New York Daily News on April 7th. DiNapoli and his co-author, Brooklyn Borough president Antonio Reynoso, argue that New York State is not doing enough to track acute events in pregnancy, such as hemorrhage and sepsis, particularly when those events do not lead to death. The concluding lines are poignant: "Maternal mortality cannot be the reigning measure of maternal health. Simply surviving pregnancy is not enough."

In the interview, Dr. Thornburg supports the authors' arguments:

The comptroller is exactly right on this. Death is the tip of the iceberg. We need to be addressing the people who survive but don't thrive in pregnancy. And so, to do that, we have to know where those people are [and] what is happening to them so that we can focus our efforts. And while death is something we absolutely want to avoid, we also want families to do well and to do that, we have to target our interventions.
Dr. Loralei L. Thornburg