As providers, patients, and loved ones continue to make crucial decisions regarding care, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN), and the National Perinatal Association (NPA), joined together and released a position statement on shared decision making titled, “Mothers with COVID-19 and Their Newborn Infants.” On this episode, we are joined by two of the authors, Dr. Jerry Ballas, president of the NPA and Dr. Tiffany Moore of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and AWHONN President, Rebecca Cypher, who will help us better understand the shared decision making model and its implications in the COVID-19/perinatal space.
About the Speakers
Jerasimos (Jerry) Ballas, MD, MPH, FACOG
Jerry Ballas, MD, MPH, is a board-certified perinatologist who cares for women with high-risk pregnancies. As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, he treats expectant mothers who have an increased chance that they or their babies will have health complications. Dr. Ballas’s expertise is in managing maternal chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, diagnosing fetal abnormalities by ultrasound, and treating placental disorders. He also handles complications that may happen during labor and delivery. As an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Ballas is active in educating medical students, residents and fellows. His research interests include placenta accreta spectrum disorders, substance use disorders in pregnancy and environmental and social determinants of health as they relate to pregnancy and childbirth.
Tiffany Moore, RN, PHD
Dr. Tiffany Moore is a Nurse Scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing, in Omaha, NE. Dr. Moore’s research focuses on the effects of chronic stress, specifically systemic racism and poverty, on maternal/infant outcomes. Prior to obtaining in her PhD, Dr. Moore was a NICU bedside and transport nurse for over 10 years. Currently, Dr. Moore practices as a Forensic Nurse Examiner.
Rebecca Cypher, MSN, PNNP
Rebecca is a proven nursing leader with 30 years of front-line perinatal nursing experience, including a 20-year active duty Air Force career. After serving in a variety of roles and locations, including an Iraq deployment, her professional path led to a perinatal nurse practitioner and nurse entrepreneur career. A dedicated and loyal member since 1989, she’s a strategic thinker that’s assisted AWHONN move forward as a nationally respected organization by holding multiple elected leadership positions including Section Chair and two Board of Directors terms.
Additionally, she served on numerous committees including the AWHONN Fetal Heart Monitoring revision groups, state-wide perinatal advisory taskforces, and maternal-newborn mortality review boards. Being passionate about inter-disciplinary education, mentoring, and professionalism, she lectures on obstetric topics, is actively involved in conducting clinical research and is published in multiple peer reviewed journals and textbook. She is also co-author of Mosby’s Pocket Guide to Fetal Monitoring: A Multidisciplinary Approach, an editorial board member for the Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing and a reviewer for Nursing for Women’ Health. Her goals include: implementing initiatives that are reflective of the needs of the members and our patient populations as well as enthusiastically set AWHONN’s agenda for successful future.
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