Seven years ago, Dr. Sina Haeri came to St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas to begin a perinatal research program. Soon after, the first program of its kind in Central Texas was launched at the Women’s Center of Texas in collaboration with Austin Maternal-Fetal Medicine (AMFM). Over the years, the Maternal Fetal Medicine research team built a system-wide fetal anomaly database, joined neonatology-led programs to hold monthly multi-disciplinary meetings, and carried out numerous research protocols, several of which involved the FDA. The program has gained the attention of The University of Texas Medical Branch, has taken notice and worked with the Maternal Fetal Medicine research team to achieve membership in the renowned Eunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network, which is responsible for a large portion of trials impacting perinatal medicine practice.
St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas and AMFM is the only non-academic group that has ever been approved as having met the rigorous research standards set forth by NCIHD and GWU data coordinating center.
Network trials are scheduled to commence at the Women’s Center of Texas by summer once AMFM staff completes NIH training. Dr. Haeri hopes to expand the program to other St. David’s facilities within the next few years.