Compassionate Conversations: Alloimmunization and Autoimmunity in Pregnancy

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Description

The Compassionate Conversations series is aimed at highlighting effective techniques and answering questions on having sensitive conversations around difficult topics. For our fifth virtual conversation in this series, we will be focusing on patient-centered discussions regarding alloimmunization and autoimmunity in pregnancy and how health care professionals in obstetrics and gynecology can support their patients. 

This webinar is being sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, Inc.

Contributors

Eilean Attwood, MD, MPH (Moderator)

Dr. Eilean Attwood graduated from medical school in 2009 from the University of Texas health science Center in Houston. She completed her residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota in 2013. Following residency, she moved to New England and joined a private practice group for two years prior to joining the academic faculty at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA. During her tenure at Baystate, she served for three years as the Medical Director for the Wesson Women’s Clinic, the largest multi-disciplinary OB/GYN single office in the region. During that time, she also completed a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts. Most recently, in January 2020 she joined the faculty practice at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI, and has been the Medical Director of the Women’s Emergency Department for the past three years. Throughout her career Dr. Attwood has been an active ACOG member, serving in multiple roles and currently functions as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Health Economics and Coding (CHEC). Outside of the world of OB/GYN, Eilean enjoys being outside, biking, and "glamping" as much as possible with her husband, five-year-old son, and two-year-old daughter.
Michelle Y. Owens, MD, MS, FACOG

Dr. Michelle Y. Owens, MD, MS, FACOG is a maternal fetal medicine (MFM) specialist in Jackson, MS. Dr. Owens completed her residency training at Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Owens went on to serve at the University of MS Medical Center as a Tenured Professor, Interim Chair, and Chief of the MFM division as well as serving as Program Director of the MFM fellowship. She is now Clinical Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital. She is currently the National Assistant Secretary for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and serves as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Owens serves on the MS State Boards of Medical Licensure (MSBML) and was a member of the MS State Board of Nursing until becoming President of the Board of Medical Licensure this year. She is the Clinical Director for Mae Health and Clinical Chair of the MS Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Her research and clinical interests are in hypertensive and substance use disorders in pregnancy, maternal and Infant mortality, sickle cell disease, and health disparities. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters. Dr. Owens is a passionate advocate for women’s health and health equity both locally and nationally.
Katie Shanahan

Katie Shanahan is a Nurse Practitioner and alloimmunized patient who currently serves as the Director of Development for the Allo Hope Foundation.  She also works as a Research Consultant with the University of Pittsburgh's Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center. After 11 years of clinical practice in pediatric transplant, she turned to patient advocacy with the Allo Hope Foundation and research in whole blood practices and their risk of HDFN following her son's experience with severe HDFN.
Bethany Weathersby

Bethany Weathersby is the Founder and Executive Director of The Allo Hope Foundation, where she leads efforts to improve care practices and provide support and resources for alloimmunized mothers and HDFN patients. Bethany is also an alloimmunized mother herself. After losing her daughter Lucy to HDFN, she went on to have three more severely affected babies who are all healthy today because of the proactive care they received from specialists out of state. Bethany uses her background in education, including an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction, and her personal experience with the disease to inform her work as a patient advocate, educator and leader in the rare disease space.

Thank you

Description

Contributors

Eilean Attwood, MD, MPH (Moderator)

Michelle Y. Owens, MD, MS, FACOG

Katie Shanahan

Bethany Weathersby