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The UAB Department of OB/GYN celebrates women every day. We focus on providing the best care to our women patients through research and education, while training our residents and fellows to do the same. Our goal is to continue to advance women’s health, and our female physicians play a key role in that.

During Women’s History Month, not only do we celebrate the women who came before us and helped shape the importance of women’s health, but we also celebrate the women who continue to make an impact.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has been selected as a recipient of the 2021 Roy M. Pitkin Award.

Established in 1998, the Roy M. Pitkin Award recognizes academic departments of obstetrics and gynecology that promote and demonstrate excellence in research.

Cervical cancer is a common cancer that occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow in the cervix. Several factors can put women at risk, but the main cause of cervical cancer is a persistent infection by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). While about 90% of women clear the cervical HPV infection on their own, there is a small percentage of women in which the virus will persist and lead to pre-cancer and cancer.

Isabel Scarinci, Ph.D., MPH, has been named vice chair for Global and Rural Health for the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). Scarinci is a professor in the Department of OB/GYN, senior advisor and scientist at the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and holds positions in over 11 UAB centers including the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), Center for Women’s Reproductive Health (CWRH), Center for AIDS Research, Minority Health and Research Center (MHRC), and the Sparkman Center for Global Health.

As vice chair, Scarinci will work to increase global visibility of the department and its bi-directional approach to global and rural health – making it a desired destination for residents and fellows to gain unmatched training, clinical experience, and research opportunities.

J. Michael Straughn, Jr. M.D., has been appointed vice chair of Quality and Patient Safety for the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Straughn is a professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and a senior scientist in UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and Center for Women’s Reproductive Health. He is also the fellowship director for the Gynecologic Oncology program and the Associate Chief Medical and Quality Officer for UAB’s Women and Infants Services.

In an effort to improve the quality and safety of patient care delivered at UAB, the Department of OB/GYN established a Section of Quality and Patient Safety. This section will be an important facilitator of efforts needed to achieve and maintain departmental and health system goals.

In partnership with other physicians across the country, faculty and clinicians from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) and Center for Women’s Reproductive Health (CWRH) conducted a study evaluating pregnant individuals’ attitudes toward COVID-19 illness and vaccination from Aug. 2020 to Dec. 2020 – just before the vaccine was available in the United States.

The study, titled “Attitudes toward COVID-19 illness and COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant women: a cross-sectional multicenter study during August-December 2020” surveyed a cross-section of pregnant people in the cities of Salt Lake City, New York, and Birmingham, Ala.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has been named a 2020 Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Center of Excellence (COE).

This designation is received by institutions and obstetric anesthesia programs that demonstrate excellence in obstetric anesthesia care.

“It is truly gratifying for our Labor and Delivery Unit to be recognized by the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology for excellence in anesthesia care. It is another testament to the outstanding care that our team of nurses, technicians, obstetricians, and anesthesiologists routinely provide to our patients every day," says Brian Casey, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The desingation is the result of unmatched teamwork among multiple areas within UAB.

"This was a collaborative effort through multiple departments, including Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nursing, and Pediatrics," said Mark Powell, M.D., medical director of the obstetric anesthesia section.

2020 designees were named in March 2021 with designation remaining valid for four years.

Warner K. Huh, M.D., FACOG, FACS, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named chair of the NRG Oncology Cancer Prevention and Control Committee, effective immediately.

NRG Oncology seeks to improve the lives of cancer patients by conducting practice-changing, multi-institutional clinical and translational research with emphases on gender-specific malignancies including gynecologic, breast, and prostate cancers as well as localized or locally advanced cancers of all types.

In addition to this new role, Dr. Huh will assume responsibility for the the clinical trial titled “A Non-randomized Prospective Clinical Trial Comparing the Non-inferiority of Salpingectomy to Salpingo-oophorectomy to Reduce the Risk of Ovarian Cancer Among BRCA1 Carriers [SOROCk].”

Rachel Sinkey, M.D., Assistant Professor of UAB OB/GYN & Committee Chair of AL-MMRCThe Alabama Maternal Mortality Review Committee (AL-MMRC), housed within The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), recently published their first Maternal Mortality Review Report from the newly-convened committee.

Approximately one-third of maternal deaths in Alabama happen during pregnancy, around one-third occur after delivery up to six weeks postpartum, and another third occur between 43 and 365 days after delivery.

The report states that over 700 maternal deaths transpire annually in the U.S., and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black/African American women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.

In its efforts to increase the health and well-being of all Alabama mothers, the ADPH launched the AL-MMRC in 2018. The committee, which includes multiple medical professionals from UAB, works to review maternal mortality in Alabama and propose solutions to reduce the number of maternal deaths.

When a woman dies, a pregnancy check box must be filled out on the death certificate to indicate whether the decedent was pregnant or up to one year postpartum. These documented deaths are reported to the ADPH Center for Vital Statistics where a list of maternal deaths is generated and sent to the AL-MMRC. The AL-MMRC then requests records, generates a case abstract, and reviews further.

Maternal mortality numbers include women who died while pregnant, during childbirth, or up to one year after delivery. However, the cause of death for these women may not always be due to pregnancy.

“Based on guidance from the CDC, a maternal death is classified as a pregnancy-related death or a pregnancy-associated death,” says Rachel Sinkey, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and committee chair of the AL-MMRC. “A pregnancy-related death occurs as a result of the pregnancy, while a pregnancy-associated death occurs to a pregnant or postpartum patient that was unrelated to the pregnancy. A motor vehicle accident is an example of a pregnancy-associated death.”

The process to review and report maternal mortality cases is extensive to ensure accuracy. In 2019, the AL-MMRC reviewed cases from 2016 and published their results in the fall of 2020.

The report provides a detailed outline of pregnancy-associated deaths in 2016. Key findings, data, and recommendations, among other vital information, can be found in the report. A supplemental infographic was also created to share a clear call to action.

Recently, a legislative resolution recognizing the AL-MMRC’s efforts and recommendations was submitted. The resolution specifically recognizes the AL-MMRC’s first Maternal Mortality Review Report and calls for continued funding.

“The committee is vital to understand why maternal deaths occur in our state,” Sinkey says. “I’m grateful for the AL-MMRC leadership including Dr. Grace Thomas, who manages the ever-growing team within the ADPH, to Dr. Susan Baker from the University of South Alabama, who serves as the vice chair and provides meticulous case reviews, and to Evelyn Coronado-Guillaumet, MPH, whose experience coordinating the Texas Maternal Mortality Review was instrumental in shaping the newly formed AL-MMRC.”

The AL-MMRC consists of many UAB medical professionals – all who bring a unique and important perspective to the review of each deceased mother. The committee meets four to six times annually to continue its work and produce future findings and materials.

AL-MMRC leadership from UAB include:

Rachel Sinkey, M.D., FACOG, Committee Chair | UAB Department of OB/GYN
Evelyn Coronado-Guillaumet, MPH, National Liaison | UAB School of Public Health

AL-MMRC members from UAB include:

Paul V. Benson, M.D. | UAB Department of Pathology
Marc G. Cribbs, M.D., FACOG | UAB Department of Medicine and UAB Department of Pediatrics
Blair Danielle Hedges, MSN, CRNP, M.A. | UAB Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse
Pete Lane, D.O. | UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
Tiffani Maycock, D.O. | UAB Selma Family Medicine Residency
Megan Mileski, MSN, R.N. | 2020 Graduate of UAB’s Applications of Mixed Methods Research Program
Mark Powell, M.D. | UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Lindsay Speros Robbins, M.D., MPH | UAB Department of OB/GYN
Michelle Tubinis, M.D. | UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Jennifer Kendall, M.D. | Cahaba-UAB Family Medicine Residency Program
Lauren Linken, M.D. | Cahaba-UAB Family Medicine Residency Program

The University of Alabama at Birmingham  and UAB Medicine have established the first uterus transplant program in the Southeast and the fourth such program in the United States. The program, which is a partnership between the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Division of Transplantation and the Comprehensive Transplant Institute, will provide women with uterine factor infertility an innovative option for child-bearing using deceased donor organs.

UAB is the first program in the United States to offer uterus transplantation outside of a clinical research trial and is one of very few centers in the world accepting new patients.

“Our program is the only one in the Southeast and it represents the remarkably strong programs in women’s health and solid organ transplantation at UAB,” said Warner Huh, M.D., chair of the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Patients will receive care from the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, which are all housed within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Our patients will receive care from our renowned healthcare providers throughout the entire process,” Huh said. “From preparing for the transplant to the delivery of the child and then removal of the uterus, our physicians and nurses will be with them for every step of the way.”

The Division of Gynecologic Oncology will work with patients who are candidates for the uterine transplant, while those in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Services will work with the patient on embryo generation ahead of the surgery.

After the transplant and once the patient is pregnant, she will be cared for by Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists until birth.

Paige Porrett, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of surgery in the UAB Division of Transplantation and Comprehensive Transplant Institute, will lead the program.

Uterine factor infertility may affect as many as 5 percent of reproductive-age women worldwide and was a previously irreversible form of female infertility. A woman with UFI cannot carry a pregnancy to term either because she was born without a uterus, has had the uterus surgically removed during a hysterectomy, or has a uterus in place that does not function properly. Congenital absence of the uterus is a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH), which affects approximately one out of every 4,500 females, and makes it impossible for a woman to get pregnant.

Most uterus transplants performed to date in the world have been in women with MRKH syndrome. However, women who have undergone a hysterectomy and had the uterus removed surgically are also potential candidates for uterus transplantation.

“We are tremendously excited to announce that UAB is expanding access to uterus transplantation and offering hope to couples unable to get pregnant,” Porrett said. “Our doors are open to both providers and patients anywhere who want to learn more about this exciting new therapy.”

How uterus transplantation works

The process from transplant to successful birth varies from person to person but can take two to five years for many participants. It includes five phases:

1. Embryo generation. Before the uterus transplant surgery, a woman generates embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF). During the process of IVF, she is given fertility drugs to produce eggs, which are then removed from her ovaries and fertilized outside of her body. These embryos are then frozen for later use.

2. Transplantation. A uterus is removed from a donor and surgically placed into the recipient. The recipient begins taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent rejection of the transplant. These medications are taken while the transplant is in place, including during pregnancy.

3. Pregnancy. Several months after the transplant surgery, one of the recipient’s embryos will be thawed and placed directly into the uterus. If implantation is successful, the recipient will become pregnant. The health of both baby and mother is monitored very closely at frequent prenatal care visits with a high-risk obstetrician, known as a maternal fetal medicine specialist.

4. Delivery. The child is born as close to term as is possible via a planned Cesarean section. If the pregnancy has gone well and the recipient and her partner desire a second child, the uterus is left in place and immunosuppression medications are continued. Approximately six months after delivery, another embryo transfer can be attempted.

5. Uterus removal. After childbearing is complete, the transplanted uterus is removed and immunosuppressive medications are stopped.

Am I a candidate?

Candidates for uterine transplants should be generally healthy and without a uterus — either born without one or have had one surgically removed. As part of an intensive evaluation, candidates are educated about the risks of uterus transplantation and counseled about alternatives to uterus transplantation for family building.

To learn more about this program or to find out if you are a candidate, click here or please contact 833-UAB-CTI1.

Women physicians are more prevelant now than ever before, despite the continued challenges they face. In 2021, we still see bias, gender pay gaps, and glass ceilings. However, our women physicians are breaking barriers and fighting for the equality of our future women in medicine.

Our women physicians excel in both their professional work and home lives, a misconception when thinking of female doctors. Their balancing skills are not only impressive, but set forth a standard of excellence in achieving work-life balance that all can learn from. Their commitment to education, research, and patient care is admirable and invaluable to our department, UAB, and the world of medicine as a whole. Additionally, our women are able to provide an added level comfort to many of our female patients, an added value that is specific to our department and specialties regarding women's health. 

It is vital that we acknowledge the obstacles our women physicians are still facing today. By addressing these challenges, we can bring awareness to the changes that need to be made now and for the future of our female physicians to come. 

We asked some of our women faculty about these challenges, why they became a physician, and what changes they hope to see for future women physicians. View their responses below, and then take time to meet all of our women physicians, here.

Audra Williams, M.D.

Why did you choose to become a physician?

I became a physician because it was the perfect way to combine my love for science and compassion for helping others. I also loved the educational aspect of being a doctor – being able to teach individuals and communities about health.

What are some continued challenges that women physicians face today? What do you think needs to be done to address and eliminate these challenges?

Women physicians still face the challenge of the glass ceiling in medicine. Though the number of female doctors has increased there has not been an equivalent rise in the number of women in leadership positions. There should be continued efforts to mentor and promote women in leadership at all levels of medicine.

Margaret I. Liang, M.D.

What do you think is a common misconception people have regarding women physicians?

That women can't be surgeons, but I'm here to tell you that women can be excellent surgeons while still navigating all the other demands in life that we all face. Not to say it's easy, but like they say... nothing worth doing is easy.

Do you have any advice for other girls or women who desire to become a physician?

Seek out personal and professional relationships with people who will be your champions. My most valuable relationships are a core set of people both in and out of medicine who I trust to work through my most challenging decisions and who are my most vocal supporters during my successes.

Isuzu Meyer, M.D.

Do you have any advice for other girls or women who desire to become a physician?

Career in medicine is extremely rewarding. You impact many lives, directly and indirectly, such as your patients, their family, your trainees, your colleagues, as well as society overall. However, it is also inevitable that you will encounter “a bad day” from time to time. When that happens, it will shake your confidence, it may create doubts in your decision or cause you to wonder why you have chosen medicine as your career. In Japanese, we have an old saying, “Shoshin Wasuru Bekarazu” which means remember your original intention. Remember the day that you decided to pursue a career in medicine, the excitement you felt as you were reciting the Hippocratic Oath during the white coat ceremony as you entered into the medical profession, or the first time someone called you “Doctor.” That has certainly helped me cope with challenges along the way.

What do you hope to see regarding the future of women physicians?

I hope that we continue to live in a world where we embrace an individual for who they are, regardless of their gender or background. I hope that there will be fewer obstacles as one continues to pursue whatever their dream may be. I hope tomorrow is even a better place than it is today.

Akila Subramaniam, M.D., MPH

What was a challenge you faced as a woman physician?

I think the biggest challenge women face in medicine is that there is a universal perception that women cannot be "physicians." In other words, that the "doctors" are typically male. This is less challenging in a specialty such as Obstetrics and Gynecology where the number of women entering the specialty is rapidly growing to outnumber men, but this still seems to be the case in many of the OB/GYN subspecialties. In accordance with the theory that "women aren't doctors" is the level of respect accorded to the "female physician" not only by patients, but also other medical practitioners in the system.

What are some continued challenges that women physicians face today? What do you think needs to be done to address and eliminate these challenges?

There are many challenges that women continue to face in medicine today. There are differing sets of standards as to what constitutes good leadership and readiness for promotion between men and women. Also, strong personality behaviors are mislabeled amongst women as opposed to considered the "norm" for others. It is applying this double standard that seems to be the biggest challenge women face today. Eliminating these challenges take time and education. There are various leadership, personality, teaching, and clinical styles, and they are all applicable to various situations. There is no one standard for excellence anymore - and recognizing that each individual adds value, even if different from some illusory norm, is the key to eliminating these barriers. Furthermore, including more women in highly visible positions is key to eliminating these challenges. Knowing there is a female Vice President of this United States now makes it a possibility for women anywhere - whereas previously it was a pipe dream.

Sukhkamal Campbell, M.D.

What was a challenge you faced as a woman physician?

One of the challenges that I have struggled with is my many roles – only one of which is being a physician. I want to be the best reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist to my patients and commit to them in the way they deserve, but that role is also juggled with being a mom of 2 little boys (age 4.5 yrs and 15 months) and a spouse and a daughter caring for elderly patients. I want to give my best in each arena of my life and sometimes that means there is no time for “me” – no time for self-reflection and unwinding. But I have learned, that I have to make and take that time – even it just means a 15 minute walk listening to Spotify or a 30 minute Peloton ride – to clear my mind, refocus on my priorities, and be the best physician / companion to my patients and also the best playmate for my kids and partner to my spouse. I am incredibly thankful for mentorship throughout my early training and career that reminded me that my family and my job would be something I would have to balance delicately and to be sure to take the time to work at that balance early on.

What do you hope to see regarding the future of women physicians?

I hope to see future generations of women physicians supporting each other through medical endeavors as well as personal struggles and strife. Often times women physicians who choose to prioritize their families (at particular times of need) are seen as being “weak” or “not committed to the field,” even by fellow female physicians and colleagues. However, I try to breed a culture of encouragement for my fellow female physician and hope future generations of women would continue to explore the work-life balance and applaud colleagues who have achieved a good balance by taking excellent care of patients while also taking time for themselves and their families – there is nothing wrong with that and it is a skillset that will only allow us to continue to thrive. We should applaud one another for seeking that balance, not shun those who pursue it.

Meet Our Women Physicians

Alice Goepfert, M.D., has been named chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee for the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Goepfert is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UAB. She currently serves as the associate dean for Graduate Medical Education for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine as well as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Designated Institutional Official for UAB Hospital.

Casey Mitchell, RN, Lauren Davis, RN, Tabitha Vigee, RN, and Courtney Gregory, CRNP, recently completed the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) certificate course on Assisted Reproductive technology and fertility care. Our entire team of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) nurses are now certified by ASRM. 

Congratulations to Zoë Julian, MD, MPH, and team on being awarded the full requested amount of $10,000 by the UAB Center for the Study of Community Health (CSCH) for her 2020 Community Health Scholars proposal.

Dr. Rachel Sinkey, Assistant Professor in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, has been awarded the Center for Women’s Reproductive Health (CWRH) and the Hypertension Research Center’s (HRC) collaborative University-Wide Interdisciplinary Centers pilot grant program. Dr. Sinkey and Dr. Eric Wallace, Associate Professor of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine, received this award for their collaboration on the project “Validation of a Remote Monitoring Blood Pressure Cuff.”

UAB'S Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology held its annual department awards on Friday, June 12, 2020. The awards are normally held in person, but this year the celebration was held via ZOOM to practice social distancing. The department was pleased to present numerous faculty, residents, and fellows with awards.

The UAB SOM Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) is delighted to announce the recipients of the OBGYN Center for Women’s Reproductive Health (CWRH) pilot grant program.  The overall mission of the UAB OBGYN department is to provide the most up-to-date and effective care to patients, to advance the scientific understanding of women’s health and to translate this new knowledge into improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, and educating our future. In pursuit of this mission, the goal of the OBGYN CWRH Pilot Grant program is to maintain and grow interdisciplinary research opportunities in women’s reproductive health while investing in our faculty and coinvestigators through the CWRH. The CWRH has 5-functional cores: Clinical research operations and administration, Biostatistics and data management, Laboratory and biorespository, Global health and Information technology and data acquisition.  

The department has five divisions: Gynecologic Oncology; Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Services; Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery; and Women’s Reproductive Healthcare. A total of $80,000 is awarded as shown below and includes funds set aside for the CWRH EMR Data Extraction initiative. The proposed 12 month projects will begin October 1 and funds will be available upon confirmation of their IRB. Please join in congratulating these investigators and their teams.

OBGYN Division, Gynecologic Oncology  

1. PI: Haller J Smith MD, Instructor Fellow (https://scholars.uab.edu/4414-haller-smith) $20,000
   Collaborators:  Drs. Warner Huh, Michael Straughn, and Alan Tita
   Project Title: “Optimizing antibiotic prophylaxis for high-risk patients undergoing gynecologic surgery”

OBGYN Division, Maternal Fetal Medicine             

2. PI: Brian M Casey MD, Professor (https://scholars.uab.edu/6005-brian-casey) $20,000
   Collaborators:  Dr Mark Powell (Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine)
   Project Title:  "Decreased Neuraxial Morphine and Adjunctive Peripheral Nerve Blockade to Reduce Severity of Side Effects and Opioid Use after Cesarean Delivery”

3. PI: Rachel Sinkey MD, Assistant Professor (https://scholars.uab.edu/5043-rachel-sinkey) $10,000
   Collaborators:  Drs. David Mauchley, Marc Cribbs, Luz Padilla, and Macie Champion
   Project Title:  “Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes Following Aortic Valve Replacement”

OBGYN Division, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Services

4. PI: Jasmine Lee Chiang MD, Instructor Fellow $9,000
   Collaborators: Drs. Keshav Singh (Genetics) and Michael Straughn
   Project Title:  “Reproductive aging and fertility in an inducible mouse model of mitochondrial”

OBGYN Division, Women’s Reproductive Health

5. PI: Janeen Arbuckle MD, Assistant Professor (https://scholars.uab.edu/790-janeen-arbuckle) $10,000
   Collaborators:  Drs. Julie Wolfson (Hematology) and Jeff Szychowski (BDMC CWRH)
   Project Title:  "Menstrual Suppression in the Myelosuppressed: A Retrospective Review” 

Please direct any questions to CWRH Program Manager, Richard Sarver: rsarver@uabmc.edu or 205.934.6349.