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FOCUS ON : EDUCATION
Graduate medical education update
Training the next generation of women ’ s health physicians in Texas
To understand the urgent need for Obstetrics and Gynecology ( OBGYN ) Residency programs , one must understand the maternal morbidity and mortality rates right here in Tarrant County .
Our county ’ s maternal mortality rate exceeds that of the state average — and Texas is one of the top 10 states in the nation for maternal mortality . It ’ s even worse in the 76104 ZIP code , ironically the ‘ medical district zip code ,’ where Black moms have the second-highest maternal mortality rate in Texas .
Research suggests the highest rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in Texas have these characteristics :
Non-Hispanic Black women Women without private payor coverage for delivery Women with 12th grade education or less Women with advanced maternal age
Maternal mortality is rising in the US as it declines elsewhere around the world . What is happening ?
In a recent presentation to the Foundation ’ s Women ’ s Health Council , by Dr . Jackie Garda , Program Director for the OBGYN Residency at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth , she pointed out that upwards of 90 % of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable . She noted that in 2019 , the six underlying causes of maternal
Steps to becoming a physician
College Undergraduate
Continuing Professional Ongoing
Development Eligible for Board certification in subspecialty
Fellowship Program 1 – 3 Years
( specialty dependent ) Eligible for Board certification
Residency Program
3 – 7 Years
Medical School
4 Years
4 Years
Up to 18 years of education required
deaths in the US accounted for 79 % of all reviewed cases . These included obstetric hemorrhaging , mental health conditions , non-cerebral thrombotic embolism , injury , cardiovascular conditions and infection . In addition to this , 27 % of pregnancy-related deaths were attributed to violence ( suicide or homicide ).
Healthcare providers all agree — infant and maternal mortality is directly related to the level of care mother and child receive before and after birth .
Enter the Graduate Medical Education ’ s OBGYN residency program at Baylor Scott & White - Fort Worth . In year two of the accredited program , the 12 OBGYN residents began providing family and maternal care to women in the Southeast Community Health Center , a Federally Qualified Health Center .
In their first year of seeing patients , residents provided an astounding 1,700 maternal and reproductive care visits . This is up from zero maternal and reproductive care visits the previous year .
As evidenced throughout the country , residency programs have a major impact on the health of a community . Not only do they improve quality of care , patient outcomes and patient experience , they increase access to care for
Baylor Scott & White – Fort Worth
Current Residency programs :
• Emergency Medicine
• General Surgery
• Internal Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Transitional Year
Residency approved to begin in 2024 :
• Anesthesiology
Medical residents Taylor Daniels , Luke Hansen , Mojahed Shalabi and Ryan Bellinger
uninsured and underinsured populations through community clinic rotations .
To date , more than $ 4 million has been contributed to Baylor Scott & White All Saints Foundation from area foundations and individuals who believe in the transformational impact the residency program will have on our community . Philanthropy continues to play a significant role in sustaining the graduate medical education program . Real and significant costs are incurred for this training . Medicare offsets only a portion of the costs associated with training a resident .
We are reshaping the narrative , shifting our focus from women and babies simply surviving to taking action that leads to women and babies thriving in Fort Worth .
For more information on how the Foundation is supporting the Graduate Medical Education program , please contact Amy Adkins at 817.922.7707 or Amy . Adkins @ BSWHealth . org .
Congratulations to the Baylor Scott & White Fort Worth OBGYN Residency program for recently receiving a full 10-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education ! Pictured : Medical residents Eunice Agyapong , Annelise Kutzler and Emma Heisel
THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE FOUNDATION NEWS / FALL 2023
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