Everyday Medical Miracles

Everyday Medical Miracles is a collection of over 50 true stories from the frontlines of women's health care. Imagine going on a journey with a group of women's health-care professionals as physicians, nurses, midwives, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, a doula, and a medical assistant share their most memorable encounters. At the intersection of empathy and expertise, they recount true stories of patients, caregivers, daunting experiences, and difficult decisions. Hope often hangs in the balance, and the many joyful outcomes that emerge can best be described as Everyday Miracles!

Readers are led on a behind-the-scenes journey to witness real-life dramas such as: - the delivery of a baby in the front seat of a car - the physician who insisted on delivering her own baby at home - the challenge of a baby in distress with severe anemia, in utero, being treated with intrauterine blood transfusions - the attorney who delivered her own baby on the side of the road, - the patient who had a stroke while pregnant, had a healthy baby, who, years later, had her own child–and now we have three generations! Expertise, empathy, and experience combine as these health-care professionals overcome obstacles, often tackling action-packed challenges. Their patients harbor fear mixed with perseverance as they hope for favorable outcomes–whether these results are achievable or elusive. Facing daunting predicaments, the nurturing relationships and joint deliberations between patients and caregivers impact the careers of health-care professionals and change the lives of all concerned. In this compendium, clinical decision-making moves from abstract concepts to heart-pounding reality. These inspirational stories provide great tools for understanding the complex scenarios that abound in women's health care–for both caregivers and patients. Ultimately, the many joyful results revealed in this book can best be described as everyday miracles.

Joseph S. Sanfilippo, MD, MBA, FACOG, is a tenured professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. He is vice chair of Reproductive Sciences within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences and has served as fellowship director of the Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility training program. Dr. Sanfilippo graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School, and is a Distinguished Alumnus. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Louisville. For over forty years, Dr. Sanfilippo has provided patient care in the field of women's health. His career has been dedicated to the full range of obstetrics and gynecology, beginning with his role as a founding father in pediatric and adolescent gynecology (North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology-NASPAG), moving into the area of infertility, and continuing with caring for women in menopause. He has been active in educating medical students, advanced practice providers, residents, fellows, as well as attending physicians. His areas of expertise include gynecology, infertility, reproductive endocrinology, assisted reproductive technology–in vitro fertilization, pediatric and adolescent gynecology, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. He is past president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Dr. Sanfilippo has written numerous peer-reviewed articles and authored/co-authored over twenty-five textbooks. He is the author of White Coat Tales: Becoming Doctors, and his recent book on infertility is Expert Guide to Fertility: Boost Your Chances for Pregnancy (co-authored with Dr. Aarti Kumar), Johns Hopkins University Press. A highly regarded expert, he has been named one of America's Top Doctors. Dr. Sanfilippo has spent the last half of his career on the faculty of Magee-Womens Hospital. Dr. Sanfilippo and his wife, Patricia, reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have seven grandchildren.