Woman’s Hospital Expands High-Risk Pregnancy Care

September 15, 2019

Dr. Pamela Simmons joins Woman's Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic

SimmonsPBATON ROUGE, La. – Woman’s Hospital is expanding the care it provides to expectant mothers with high-risk pregnancies with the addition of a new maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Pamela Simmons, DO, joins the Woman’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic, where she will assist in providing Louisiana’s most advanced diagnosis and fetal interventions.

Woman’s maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists work with obstetricians to offer complete and specialized care for a wide spectrum of pregnancy complications. Expecting mothers may be referred to an MFM specialist if they have chronic medical conditions or other high-risk issues such as fetal abnormalities, prior pregnancy complications, placenta previa or other indications that a pregnancy might warrant more comprehensive care.

Dr. Simmons, who is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, completed her OB-GYN residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and recently finished her fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark. 

She has a special interest in the care and treatment of women with morbidly adherent placenta, also referred to as placenta accreta spectrum. This is a serious condition that occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. It requires consistent monitoring and supervision throughout pregnancy and into delivery.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Simmons and to add her level of expertise in caring for women with placental complications,” said Marshall St. Amant, MD, medical director for maternal-fetal medicine at Woman’s Hospital. “As the leader in high-risk pregnancy care, our practice will be even stronger with her experience and unique skills .”

Dr. Simmons received her Bachelor of Science degree from Avila University in Kansas City, Mo. She went on to obtain her master of public health degree from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo., followed by her osteopathic medicine degree from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Ariz.

She is active in several professional societies, currently a Junior Fellow with the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. She is also a member of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Dr. Simmons will join fellow MFM specialists Dr. St. Amant; Tara Benjamin, MD; Albert Diket, MD; Clifton Moore, MD; and Edward Veillon, MD. For more information on these physicians or maternal-fetal medicine at Woman’s Hospital, visit womans.org/mfm.