Domeyer-Klenske joins Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce

The task force will be charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce, exploring educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 biennial budget.

Learn more about the Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce here. Amazing work, Dr. Domeyer!

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UW Department of Ob-Gyn at 2024 ACOG Congressional Leadership Conference

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Domeyer-Klenske talks about postpartum health care with Wisconsin Watch

UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, discussed health care barriers for postpartum people with public insurance in a new article from Wisconsin Watch. 

“You have to do all of this paperwork and applications when you’re not getting enough sleep, you may be suffering from a postpartum mood disorder, you’re experiencing really huge bodily changes and health stressors and you’re newly a parent,” Domeyer-Klenske said. “It’s this high-risk time for parents that we’re asking them to reapply and re-qualify for insurance.” 

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Domeyer introduces Vice President Harris at reproductive health event in Wisconsin

“Obstetric patients in our rural areas face maternity care deserts where labor and delivery units are closing. And according to a research brief from the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, about 1 in 10 pregnancy-capable Wisconsinites reported delays or trouble in getting birth control. These challenges could seem insurmountable in any other state, but we are Badgers. And in Wisconsin, we have the people, the passion and the expertise to make progress.” 

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Department engages UW students during AHANA-MAPS outreach event

On November 16, 2023, several members of the Department of Ob-Gyn participated in an outreach event with the University of Wisconsin–Madison AHANA-MAPS Pre-Health Society. The event focused on showcasing obstetrics and gynecology careers and career pathways with students interested in medical and health science careers.  

During the event, department members led hands-on birthing simulations, guided students through case-based learning, and answered questions about their career paths during a panel discussion.  

Special thanks to the Department of Ob-Gyn Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and DEI leaders for planning this event: 

• Katie Sampene, MD – DEI Committee Co-Chair and associate professor, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn 
• Beverly Hutcherson – Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, UW School of Medicine and Public Health 
• Cheryl Casey’Grant – Outreach Specialist, Department of Ob-Gyn 
• Jackie Askins – Communications Manager, Department of Ob-Gyn 

Thanks to all the department members who shared their expertise with the students: 

• Katie Sampene, MD (associate professor, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn) 
• Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD (Director, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn) 
• Jennifer Karnowski, MD (assistant professor, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn) 
• Maggie Williams, MD (ob-gyn resident) 
• Hannah Copp, CNM (Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn) 
• Awa Sanneh, MD (ob-gyn resident) 
• India Anderson-Carter, MD (ob-gyn resident) 
• Laura Huffman, MD (assistant professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology) 
• Ellen Hartenbach, MD (Department Chair; Division of Gynecologic Oncology) 
• Bala Bhagavath, MD (professor and Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility) 
• Laura Jacques, MD (associate professor, Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn/Family Planning) 
• Gabrielle Avery, MD (ob-gyn resident) 

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Women’s Healthcast: Over-the-Counter Birth Control, featuring Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD

In July 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a birth control pill for over-the-counter use, meaning most consumers could buy it from a pharmacy without a prescription. The pill will likely be available sometime in 2024.

Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, joined the Women’s Healthcast share information about the progestin-only birth control that’s approved for over-the-counter use. She discussed how the pill works, important safety considerations for people to know, and the remaining questions about how birth control without a prescription might affect availability and access for people in the U.S.

Listen to Over-the-Counter Birth Control now.

Did you know the Women’s Healthcast is available on all your favorite podcast platforms? Whether you like to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or anywhere else, you can find us! (Just search Women’s Healthcast, and while you’re at it, may as well subscribe!)  

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Domeyer-Klenske discusses pharmacist-prescribed birth control with WISC-TV

In early July, the Wisconsin State Senate Committee on Health held a hearing on a bill​ that would allow pharmacists to prescribe some forms of birth control. 

UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, spoke with WISC-TV about what the change could mean for birth control access:

“"By breaking down these barriers for a medication, which is otherwise safe for a vast majority of the population, we can then help people have control over their reproductive lives and their reproductive futures," said Dr. Amy Domeyer-Klenske, the chair of the Wisconsin section of the American College of OBGYNs.”

See the whole article here.

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Domeyer-Klenske shares post-Dobbs essay with ACOG

In recognition of the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD wrote an essay for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about the challenges of providing care in the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. 

In “Bearing Witness to a Moment in History”, Domeyer-Klenske wrote about navigating clinical uncertainty, increased media visibility, and concerns about the future of reproductive health care:  

“One year has now passed since the Dobbs decision. It feels strange to recognize I’m part of a moment of history and feel obliged to bear witness to it. As educators, we struggle to teach students and residents about the care we need to provide now and to impart that this isn’t standard health care. I worry about what the next 10 years will look like. I worry about the sustainability of our workforce and the health of our patients. Medical care is unfortunately not black and white, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to patient care. We are challenged daily by restrictive laws that limit our patients’ access to needed health care and threaten the livelihood of our physician workforce.” 

Read the whole essay here. 

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Domeyer-Klenske to join UW Department of Ob-Gyn as ASOG Division Director

After a highly competitive search with many exceptional candidates, Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, has accepted our offer to join the UW Department of Ob-Gyn as the next Director of the Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, with an anticipated start date of May 1, 2023. Please help welcome Dr. Domeyer-Klenske to the department!  

Dr. Domeyer-Klenske went to the University of Iowa for her undergraduate degree. She stayed in Iowa for medical school, graduating from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, followed by ob-gyn residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. She joined the Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Ob-Gyn faculty in 2016, where she practices and teaches the full spectrum of ob-gyn care.   

When she joined MCW, she also took on the role of Patient Safety and Quality Officer in the Department of Ob-Gyn. In that time, Dr. Domeyer-Klenske has been instrumental in transforming obstetrics care. She led the implementation of Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) bundles at Froedtert Hospital focused on issues like obstetric hemorrhage and severe hypertension; this implementation included developing interdisciplinary simulation education for all staff in the birthing center.   

Dr. Domeyer-Klenske has distinguished herself as a statewide leader in obstetrics and gynecology. She has been an active member of the Wisconsin Section of the American College of Ob-Gyn since 2020; she was named Chair of the Wisconsin section in September 2022. She has led statewide advocacy efforts for some of Wisconsin’s most pressing reproductive health issues, including expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months and developing clinical guidelines for providing care after Dobbs v. Jackson. She was appointed to the Wisconsin Perinatal Quality Collaborative (WisPQC) steering committee in 2019, where she assists in efforts to improve perinatal care outcomes for women across the state of Wisconsin. 

Her academic star is also on the rise, with no doubt she will continue this trajectory as part of our department: this year, she is working on a book chapter on advocacy, has an article in progress in Academic Medicine with requested revisions, as well as multiple submissions to the upcoming national ACOG meeting. One of her essays will also be published in a new MCW book Character and Caring: Medical Education Finds Our Way Out of the Pandemic. 

Dr. Domeyer-Klenske has demonstrated a commitment to high-quality education for learners at all levels during her career in academic medicine. She is consistently well-reviewed by residents in the MCW Department of Ob-Gyn as an excellent role model who is committed to quality improvement. She is a committed mentor to MCW medical students, supporting them to presentations at regional and national meetings.  

A native of Dubuque, IA, Dr. Domeyer-Klenske, her husband, and two young children are looking forward to being a little bit closer to family once they move to Madison. We look forward to welcoming her to our Badger family (though she may always be a bit of a Hawkeye at heart) this spring! 

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Domeyer-Klenske visits White House Gender Policy Council

On a recent visit to Washington, D.C., UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, met with staff from the White House Gender Policy Council to discuss challenges and experiences practicing in a post-Dobbs environment. Domeyer-Klenske is currently serving as the Chair of the Wisconsin Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

During the visit, she participated in a press conference with some physician members of Congress: Dr. Ami Bera, Dr. Raul Ruiz and Dr. Kim Schrier. This press conference marked the one-year anniversary of the Politco leak and allowed physicians including Dr. Domeyer-Klenske, Dr. Kylie Cooper and Dr. Anita Mikkilineni to share their experiences of providing ob-gyn care in a post-Dobbs environment with a specific focus on how legislative interference impacts physician ability to provide medical care.

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Domeyer-Klenske discusses mifepristone case on WUWM’s Lake Effect

On June 1, UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn Director Amy Domeyer-Klenske, MD, joined the WUWM show Lake Effect to talk about legal challenges to mifepristone and how they could affect health care in Wisconsin.

In the interview, Domeyer-Klenske provided background about mifepristone and its uses, discussed the current landscape of abortion care in Wisconsin, and the possible impact of federal cases related to mifepristone on quality of care:

“I don’t think anyone would want their family member receiving cancer care or receiving blood pressure medication, no one would choose the second-best medication when they’re offered an option that’s better. So I think in terms of our provision of health care to pregnant individuals, I would hope that when taking that into consideration when we’re thinking about these decisions in the legislature, and the judiciary, and the FDA, I hope all of folks who are caring for pregnant individuals are having these decisions, are considering that.

Pregnant individuals, like anyone else, want the best level of care. And right now the data shows that mifepristone is the most effective for these treatments and we don’t want to go to a situation where we need to use the second best treatment.”

Listen to the whole interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or NPR.org.

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