Hoppe and Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic featured in Department of Medicine story

Cardiovascular disease and hypertension are leading causes of pregnancy-related death in the United States, but coordinating cardiovascular and high-risk pregnancy care can be complex. To help address this issue, the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Medicine launched the Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic. 

Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD, professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and co-leader of the clinic, is featured in a story from the Department of Medicine about the Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic. In the story, Hoppe and colleagues talk about the origins of the clinic; future opportunities for cardio-obstetrics outreach and education; and why their collaborative model of care is so important for patients with cardiovascular concerns: 

“...pregnant patients with heart conditions can fall into gaps between providers, which can slow down their care. Dr. Hoppe explains: 

"A patient with a heart condition might be sent by their obstetrician to a high-risk pregnancy or MFM specialist. But we're not cardiologists, so we'll have to refer out for tests and evaluation. Pregnancy is only nine months—that's not a lot of time to get in with all these providers and get these disconnected care teams on board with the care plan."” 

Read the whole Cardio-Obstetrics story here!