Cincinnati Children's, Good Samaritan and University Hospitals Launch World-Class Fetal Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati will help mothers with high-risk pregnancies improve the health of their babies
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital and The University Hospital launched the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati today, a new collaborative program to diagnose and treat fetal abnormalities. This world-class prenatal diagnosis and treatment center will offer all treatments for fetal abnormalities, making it one of only three such centers in the United States and the only center located in the Midwest.
The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati has a team of specialists from each hospital working together to provide seamless, coordinated care to the mother and fetus before birth and during delivery and to the baby after birth. University Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital will provide maternal-fetal medicine expertise and support, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will offer fetal / pediatric surgery and provide pediatric care after the baby is born.
The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati's program begins with an accurate diagnosis. Due to the complexity of the abnormality, as many as 30 percent of patients are referred to fetal therapy centers with an incomplete or incorrect diagnosis. The Fetal Care Center team has the expertise and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to properly diagnose the abnormality, so parents can select the treatment that is right for them. There are many ways to help improve the medical condition of a fetus with abnormalities. These therapies may include different management of the pregnancy, drug therapy or preventive therapies. In rare situations, such as spina bifida or tumors, surgery is available to treat an abnormality so the baby can develop normally.
The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati is the only fetal therapy center located in the Midwest affiliated with a top 10 Children's Hospital and a top 5 university pediatric training program. Our Center's level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) are the largest of 14 National Institutes of Health (NIH) research sites in the United States. By joining the resources and the talent of all three hospitals, the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati is able to provide the entire spectrum of care to ultimately improve the outcomes for women with high-risk pregnancies. The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati will treat many abnormalities once considered life-threatening or only treatable after birth. The treatments may not only save the life of the baby, but also may dramatically improve the abnormality and thus the long-term quality of life for the child.
The Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati will also be the principal site for one of the largest National Institutes of Health grants for fetal therapy. The Center is led by Timothy Crombleholme, MD, one of the world's most experienced fetal / pediatric surgeons who helped found one of the country's top two fetal treatment centers and trained at the other. Dr. Crombleholme is one of only a few physicians who has experience with all fetal abnormalities.
"Until now, mothers with high-risk pregnancies had to travel long distances to access the best treatment in the world. Today they can receive treatment for all fetal abnormalities right here in Cincinnati," Dr. Crombleholme said. "The Fetal Care Center's unique maternal and pediatric hospital collaborative allows us to provide the best, full-spectrum fetal therapy and maternal-fetal care which results in healthier babies."
For more information about the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati, call 513-636-9608. Information about each collaborative hospital is below:
Good Samaritan Hospital is part of TriHealth, a community partnership of
Bethesda and Good Samaritan Hospitals. Good Samaritan Hospital is the oldest and largest teaching and tertiary health care facility in Greater Cincinnati. TriHealth's mission is to improve the health status of the people it serves by providing a full range of health-related services including prevention, wellness and education. More information about TriHealth can be found at www.trihealth.com.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a 423-bed institution dedicated to the pursuit of perfect health care. It is the only pediatric organization in the United States to receive the prestigious Pursuing Perfection grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation ranks third nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health, through patient care, research and education.
The University Hospital, part of The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, is a 665-bed, state-of-art facility located in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the region's only adult tertiary, academic medical center and only Level 1 trauma center, The University Hospital offers patients the most innovative treatments and technologies, one individual at a time. More information about University Hospital can be found at www.universityhospitalcincinnati.com.
Contact Information
Jim Feuer, 513-636-4656,
jim.feuer@cchmc.org
