A Message from Our Chair

I am proud to share the second annual newsletter highlighting exciting developments in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This year I want to spotlight progress we have made in expanding our academic footprint as well as our coordinated departmental efforts to deliver outstanding clinical care. The department earned national recognition from U.S. News & World Report as a top performer in maternity care in 2022 as well as in ovarian and uterine cancer surgery. These designations speak to the expertise and ongoing commitment of our teams to provide the highest-quality care to the patients of our region.

At a time when many healthcare resources and services in northern New England are reduced, Dartmouth Health has been recognized as a clear leader in providing safe, innovative, patient-centered OB/GYN care.

Our growing research infrastructure has expanded opportunities for our faculty and our learners. Daisy Goodman, DNP, MPH’14, CARN-AP, APRN, CNM, has garnered research grants to better screen our most marginalized obstetrics patients and to deploy resources to optimize their care. The midwife division has embarked on innovative research to better understand and improve the physiologic birth experience through a project on the language of labor led by Jessica Densmore, CNM. Additionally, in a joint project, Anna Childs, CNM, joins Julie Braga RES’09, and Claire Grzymala, MD, in improving familycentered cesarean births. Our monthly departmentwide research roundtables, led by Daisy, have played a critical role in fostering a research community to share expertise and feedback on projects at all stages of development. This year’s Resident Research Day was a testament to the depth and breadth of our research endeavors: The event featured our chief residents’ projects as well as the research work of our first graduating Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery fellow, Kristen Gerjevic RES’17, FEL’22.

This year required that we reaffirm our strong commitment to reproductive justice for all. In the face of the first abortion ban in New Hampshire’s history, at 24 weeks, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, we responded with advocacy by providing expert testimonial in the state capital, and expanded relationships with other state organizations to secure patients’ access to the full scope of reproductive care. We have partnered with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation to raise one voice in support of reproductive rights. Our department offers the only OB/GYN training program in New Hampshire, and our commitment to providing our learners comprehensive training in family planning is reflected in our distinction as a Ryan Residency Program, under the leadership of Amy Paris, MD, MS. The department has redoubled its efforts to improve access, financial assistance, and counseling for all patients through important collaborations within Dartmouth Health, including the departments of Radiology, Anesthesiology, and Community and Family Practice, that reflect our shared mission to patient care.

I’m pleased to welcome our first social worker, Beatrice Ngugi, MSW, who will serve patients and families in our ambulatory space. She is a groundbreaking addition to our department, as she will enhance the patient experience in so many ways.

We are delighted to update you on our progress in the departmental mission of achieving clinical, scholarly, and educational excellence and to share the national recognition we have earned for these efforts. I look forward to providing future updates regarding our ongoing department activities and achievements. Thank you for your continued support on this journey.

Ilana Cass, MD Chair, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Vice President Service Line, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Geisel School of Medicine

dartmouth-hitchcock.org/obgyn