University of Alabama at Birmingham
Brian Brocato, D.O.
Photography: Nik Layman maternal-fetal medicine specialists will provide high-risk obstetrical care at DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa. The partnership between UAB Medicine and the DCH Health System begins in February 2022.
“Many women in West Alabama with complicated pregnancies have to travel to Birmingham to meet with a maternal-fetal medicine physician,” said Brian Brocato, D.O., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “The DCH and UAB partnership brings state-of-the-art ultrasound and maternal-fetal care to their local community.”
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine focus on the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care of women who have a high risk of complications during pregnancy. Brocato and the UAB team will see patients at DCH on a weekly basis. They will provide specialized care for patients with pregnancy concerns including advanced age, diabetes, complicated pregnancy history, hypertension, multiple fetuses and preterm birth.
“Early and regular prenatal care is an important factor in limiting complications during high-risk pregnancies,” said Brian Casey, M.D., director of the UAB Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “The partnership allows UAB to provide needed access to high-risk prenatal care to the women of West Alabama.”
UAB’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine program is one of only 14 centers in the country and the only Alabama program to participate in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. All UAB high-risk care physicians hold board certifications in both obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine. Members of the division are actively involved in ongoing clinical trials and studies on topics such as hypertension in pregnancy, diabetes, preterm birth and labor management.
Physicians can refer obstetric patients for maternal-fetal medicine consultation by calling the DCH Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic at 205-759-6803.