New Obstetrics and Gynecology Division Created to Advance Patient Care
A new division has been established in the UK College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to improve the coordination of care in labor and delivery.
Assistant professor Andrea Tucker, MD, collaborated with department chair Wendy Hansen, MD, knowing that laborist services would be crucial for ensuring safe, quality care for patients and enhanced mentorship for future physicians.
Dr. Tucker spearheaded efforts to create a laborist division, which was officially established in July 2021.
So what is a laborist? Dr. Tucker said to think of them like hospitalists for obstetrics. Laborists are “essentially the leader of the labor and delivery team” which includes all levels of staff and learners. They also are responsible for obstetric triage and making sure all patients are seen at in a timely manner.
“We may not be managing every patient, but we know every patient,” Dr. Tucker said. “Our main role is to make sure that labor and delivery runs efficiently. It is our job to see the big picture.”
As co-leader of her department’s quality and safety committee, Dr. Tucker’s priority when introducing the division was ensuring a culture of quality and safety for patients. The new division also expands educational opportunities for residents, fellows, and medical students within her department. Laborists are dedicated to being present and engaged, and learners benefit from having an experienced health care professional available to provide them wide-ranging knowledge in obstetrics.
Eight months in, UK’s laborist division continues to expand. The team recently hired a nurse practitioner to help with triage management. At UK HealthCare, laborists work in 12-hour shifts to help coordinate care during the hospital’s busiest times, but by the fall, Dr. Tucker’s goal is to have four laborists, with one present on every shift.
Dr. Tucker’s career-long dream is advancing academic medicine in the Commonwealth. She was born in eastern Kentucky and completed medical school and residency at UK.
“Obstetrics is something that I really love doing, and here, we get to make a difference for really sick patients,” Dr. Tucker said. “I’m so glad to be back.”
