If a routine pregnancy ultrasound reveals a potential issue with a mom or her baby, she doesn’t need the added stress of having to wait weeks or travel long distances to get answers. Similarly, if a pregnant woman has a preexisting condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, she’ll need close monitoring to ensure a healthy outcome for herself and her baby.
The maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists at AdventHealth Tampa are helping more moms get convenient access to specialty pregnancy care in our community. Francis Nuthalapaty, M.D., explained that women in the Tampa Bay area have historically had trouble accessing the maternity care they need. Bringing these services into our community solves that problem for many families — and helps more moms have successful, healthy pregnancies.
Women are referred to MFM specialists by their obstetricians. While the flagship office is near the AdventHealth Tampa hospital, the team uses a satellite approach to bring specialty care to obstetrician offices across the region. In some cases, patients meet with MFM specialists via telehealth — overcoming common barriers to care like travel, time off work and child care challenges.
MFM specialists treat health conditions in both developing babies and in moms. Once the team identifies a patient who needs specialized care, they assign a nurse navigator.
“The nurse navigator becomes the primary point of contact for our patients, coordinating additional needed appointments and even working to schedule them on the same day, when possible,” said Dr. Nuthalapaty.
Depending on the diagnosis, MFM specialists may be able to treat the condition while the baby is still developing in the womb. When the MFM team expects a baby to be born with certain differences (such as a heart defect or development problem), they can connect the family with local pediatric subspecialty providers during the pregnancy. This allows the family to meet with the providers who’ll be caring for their baby after birth, ask questions and feel as prepared as possible for the road that lies ahead.
Dr. Nuthalapaty brings the signature AdventHealth compassionate, whole-person approach to high-risk pregnancy care.
“A lot of these situations are really shocking for families,” he explained. “We have to tell families that there’s a little bit of a difference with their baby that they didn’t expect.”
Providing nurturing, emotional support is critical for the work that the MFM team does.
To learn more, visit www.tampaobexperts.com or call 813-291-2623.
