What brought you to the Flathead Valley?
I was in private practice for about four years in southwest Montana before pursuing fellowship in maternal fetal medicine. I was born and raised in southwest Montana and grew up dealing with the struggles of rural medicine, including a lack of physician specialists, so it was important for me to return to Montana after training. During fellowship I began to seek out opportunities for maternal fetal medicine in Montana and came upon Logan Health. After learning about the medical community and children’s hospital, I thought this position would be the perfect fit for me; I would be able to care for women with high-risk conditions while keeping them close to their homes and families.
What is maternal-fetal medicine?
Maternal fetal medicine (MFM) is a subspecialty of obstetrics where we care for women who have chronic diseases or develop high-risk medical complications during pregnancy. We also specialize in fetal diagnosis/treatment through ultrasound and genetic counseling.
Tell us about your medical education and experience.
attended elementary and high school in Butte. After high school, I attended Gonzaga University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. My next adventure took me to Nevada where I attended medical school at Touro University. I then completed my residency training at UCSF Fresno in California.
After residency I returned close to home where I worked as an OB-GYN at the Community Hospital of Anaconda, a critical access hospital, for about 4 years. I then decided to pursue my true passion of high-risk obstetrical care and went back to California for MFM training. I was very lucky to have trained in high volume settings with limited resources which, I think, helps providers grasp the true challenges of rural medicine.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I think the most rewarding part of my job is helping educate and empower women during their pregnancy. I really enjoy taking care of complicated cases by helping prepare mothers for difficult pregnancies, in order to achieve the best outcomes possible.
What are some of your professional interests?
I really enjoy studying fetal growth restriction. My other interest that’s less related to MFM is induction timing and trying to shorten the length of labor and hospital stay for women.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Right now, my free time is spent chasing after my three-year-old, who is very busy. My husband and I love the outdoors, of course, because we were both born and raised in Montana, so we do a lot of outdoor activities such as running, hiking, and fishing.
Article as seen at 406Women.com