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Our office was specifically designed to meet our needs today, but with room to expand for tomorrow. Large, windowless ultrasound rooms with separate patient monitors are just a few of new amenities. We have created an office both beautiful and functional, thereby allowing for optimal patient care in a family-friendly environment. Having a location adjacent to the hospital has also improved efficiency for physicians, allowing them to be more accessible to patients in the clinic.
Clinic Services
We offer the full spectrum of perinatal services, including obstetric consultations for maternal and fetal indications, obstetric ultrasounds at all gestational ages and for all indications, preconceptual and prenatal genetic counseling, invasive prenatal testing (amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, and cordocentesis), antenatal testing, and obstetric management when requested.
Hospital Services
While the physicians have staff privileges at all of the hospitals in Des Moines, the majority of patients referred to PCI for inpatient services will be cared for at Mercy Medical Center’s Level III Perinatal Unit. The Maternity Triage and Treatment Center, part of Mercy’s new Women & Infants’ Center, is a special antepartum unit staffed by nurses that are devoted to caring for women with complicated pregnancies. It also includes an ultrasound room that provides obstetric ultrasounds 24 hours a day for both inpatients and pregnant patients coming through the Emergency Department. These ultrasounds are performed by our own sonographers and read by the PCI physicians.
In addition to the Maternity Triage and Treatment Unit, the Women & Infants’ Center consists of the remodeled Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a 15-suite Birthing Unit with three C-section rooms and a luxurious 40-bed Mother/Baby Unit with a well-baby nursery. It is designed to provide state-of-the-art technology to mothers, babies and families throughout the birthing and post-partum experience. The Women & Infants’ Center is housed on three floors of the Mercy East Tower, located on Third Street between University Avenue and Laurel Street.
The PCI physicians, along with a core group of nurses who have received additional training and education in critical care obstetrics, comprise the Obstetric Critical Care Unit. This specialized unit is unique to the Birthing Unit at Mercy. Critically ill patients who would otherwise be transferred to an ICU somewhere else in the hospital can remain with the nurses and physicians who know them best, and be close to their baby once they deliver.
For the critically ill babies born in Central Iowa, Mercy Medical Center offers the Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Six board certified/eligible neonatologists staff this unit 24 hours a day. The NICU is one of the busiest in Central Iowa and has outstanding results. The NICU offers state-of-the-art technology complimented by a caring staff that provides family-centered developmentally appropriate care.
Mercy is the only hospital in this region with a pediatric cardiovascular program for infants with congenital heart problems. Three pediatric cardiologists work closely with the PCI physicians to perform prenatal echocardiograms to diagnose heart problems before birth. Once delivered, infants with heart problems receive comprehensive care in the NICU by the neonatologists, pediatric intensivists, pediatric cardiologists and a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon.
In addition, Mercy has a board certified pediatric surgeon to provide care for neonates with other surgical problems.
Education and Research
T
he physicians at PCI received their subspecialty education at programs that have long-standing histories of research in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Carrying on with that tradition, PCI is currently taking part in several important multi-center research studies, one looking at the risks/benefits of repeat steroid doses given prenatally and the other at the potential benefit of progesterone to prevent preterm labor.Continuing medical education is a critical component of providing quality care. Our staff attends a variety of local and national conferences each year. In addition, the physicians are active in resident education at Mercy Medical Center and various conferences around the state.
Outreach
U
nderstanding the importance of keeping medical care within the local community whenever possible, PCI currently travels to Mason City, Pella, and Ottumwa for perinatal clinics. We look forward to establishing additional clinics in the future. In addition, we think telemedicine holds great promise for this practice. We have proven it to be successful and anticipate further expansion of this powerful technology in the near future.
Children in our Office
C
hildren are welcome in our office, but remember, they have a short attention span and quickly become bored “watching the baby”. Please bring another adult to watch younger children ruing your appointment. If you are unable to make other arrangement, our staff cannot be responsible for their safety.
Referral Labs
We utilize several labs, depending on
the testing being done. If your insurance plan REQUIRES you to use a
specific lab, PLEASE INFORM US, so we can make a notation on your chart.
The specimen from a CVS or genetic amniocentesis is sent to Genetics and IVF (GIVF) Laboratories in Fairfax, Virginia. You may want to check with your insurance company to see if you need a referral for the GIVF lab. You may have them call our office if they have any questions. For all other laboratory tests, your insurance company will be billed by the facility that does the testing on any specimens that we send out.
Payment or co-payment for office services is expected at the time care is received. Our office accepts payment by cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. A list of our fees is available.
We participate with most insurance plans; however, it is your responsibility to know if your insurance company permits you to be seen in our office without a referral from a primary care physician or if your benefits may be reduced because of out of network services.
If your insurance requires pre-certification for you to be seen in our office, please check with your primary physician’s office to see that this has been taken care of.
After your appointment, we will submit your charges to the insurance company. If we do not participate with your particular insurance company, you will be responsible for any amount above your insurance company’s allowed amount.
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