Hutzel Women's Hospital -
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Published on: 12/24/2009
Last Visited: 12/24/2009
But they probably wouldn't have a specialized understanding of critical care during pregnancy," said Jerrie S. Refuerzo, M.D., director of the Maternal Special Care Unit at Hutzel Women's Hospital.
"Here, our Maternal Special Care Unit is staffed by obstetricians, maternal fetal medicine specialists and perinatologists - physicians who really understand all the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy."
This specialized expertise makes Hutzel Women's Hospital a referral center for pregnant women with the most serious health problems.
Physicians from throughout southeast Michigan refer their high-risk patients to Hutzel.
"Our expectations may be different than the expectations of an intensivist in a more traditional ICU setting," Dr. Refuerzo said.
"With our understanding of high-risk pregnancy, we'll have different expectations for how well a mom should be doing, what her prognosis is and how we should be managing her care."
The five-bed Maternal Special Care Unit at Hutzel Women's Hospital is a destination for acutely ill pregnant women with a wide variety of medical conditions.
Dr. Refuerzo and her team provide 24-hour-a-day, critical care to pregnant women with the following conditions:
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"Providing care for these women during childbirth can be extremely difficult," Dr. Refuerzo said.