Division Director
Margaret D. Larkins-Pettigrew, MD; Associate Professor, Edgar B. Jackson Chair of Clinical Excellence and Diversity, Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Faculty
- Tia Melton, MD; Assistant Professor, Assistant Director WONDOOR/Global Health
- Mary Frances Haerr, MD; Assistant Clinical Professor, Director of Curriculum WONDOOR/Global Health
- Maria Shaker, MD; Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Curriculum and Research Initiatives, WONDOOR/Global Health
WONDOOR is a unique and innovative global health education program in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Biology that is sponsored by in Cleveland, Ohio. Pronounced “one door”, WONDOOR is an acronym that stands for:
- Women
- Neonates
- Diversity
- Opportunities
- Outreach
- Research
Grounded in the belief that all women deserve excellent medical care, whether in the U.S. or abroad, this global health program offers UH OB/GYN residents hands-on training through a comprehensive program that is sustainable and impacts the well-being of women while providing training for young physicians at the same time. Along with UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital, only three other programs in the U.S. offer intense residency training programs specifically focusing on the care of women globally.
WONDOOR’s quest is driven by the latest findings that reveal women in developing countries continue to die from highly preventable causes, including hemorrhage, infection, pre-eclampsia and induced abortion. Along with these findings, the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show the maternal mortality in developed countries versus developing countries to be 1 per 4,000 and 1 per 17 respectively. Additionally, neonatal deaths worldwide were 3.3 million in 2009, accounting for 41%.of all child deaths below 5 years of age.
It is the vision of UH’s WONDOOR program to collaboratively reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates through academic enrichment of domestic and foreign faculty, residents, medical students and nurses in under-resourced communities both in the U.S. and abroad.
WONDOOR’s strategic goals are consistent with those of the U.S. Global Health Initiative, which is to improve maternal and neonatal health. Local and international collaborations offer UH participants experiences locally and abroad to sharpen their clinical skills in under-resourced countries. These collaborations will establish sustainable programs with the hope of positive, measurable outcomes.
UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital faculty believes that investing in the training of our residents, faculty, nurses and students as global health providers will significantly contribute to promoting quality of life for all women. WONDOOR’s ultimate mission is to enhance obstetric and gynecologic education curriculum by providing comprehensive clinical and research opportunities. A multi-specialty advisory board at UH is actively involved in the global health program as mentors and educators.