With philanthropic support, University Hospitals is launching a mobile obstetrics unit to bring ultrasounds to pregnant patients in Portage and Lorain counties. UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital has rolled out what it calls the “first-of-its-kind” unit, which was funded entirely through $820,000 in gifts, a spokesperson for the health system said. Those gifts also will cover three years of operational costs totaling $90,000. Support included a significant gift from the Lozick Family Foundation, along with funding from FirstEnergy Foundation, Lincoln Electric Foundation and Sherwin-Williams Foundation, according to UH.
The unit will travel five days a week to perform ultrasounds for pregnant patients. It will be in the parking lot of UH Elyria Medical Center Tuesdays and Fridays and at UH Portage Medical Center Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It’s staffed with specialty sonographers, and maternal-fetal medicine experts are able to review ultrasounds remotely.
“The flexibility and efficiency of the unit will allow our experts to care for more women during pregnancy and fill gaps in access to care,” said Dr. David Hackney, chief of maternal fetal medicine at UH Cleveland Medical Center, in a provided statement. “Throughout the country, and also in Northeast Ohio, health risks of pregnancy like high blood pressure and preterm birth have been rising. Expert prenatal care, including fetal imaging, can help address this trend.”
