Summerville Medical Center is ensuring that Lowcountry families have easy access to cutting edge, high quality prenatal care close to home. The hospital is the only healthcare facility in the North Charleston area offering genetic counseling for Lowcountry area mothers who are pregnant or considering pregnancy and have a potential for genetic syndromes.
This month Summerville Medical Center's Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic welcomes certified genetic counselor Spencer Wood, MS CGC. Wood joins the board-certified and fellowship-trained maternal fetal medicine specialists at the clinic comprised of Christopher Robinson, MD, Alison Dillon, MD and Richard Adams, MD.
"We are able to take care of mothers and babies at high risk due to issues such as pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, family history, mothers pregnant with multiple babies, and women giving birth at a later age," explained Christopher Robinson, MD and medical director for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic. "Wood is one of two prenatal genetic counselors in the Charleston area and the only one located in Summerville. Being able to provide our Lowcountry families with a comprehensive prenatal genetic counseling program close to home is critical."
The comprehensive genetic counseling program provides a personalized care plan for mothers throughout their pregnancy and delivery. Women who can benefit from genetic counseling include those with abnormal screening or ultrasound results, a family history of genetic syndromes, women over 35 years old, or a previous pregnancy with a genetic syndrome. The clinic also offers advanced services including detailed ultrasound, fetal MRI, chorionic villus sampling, and amniocentesis to provide women with comprehensive information about their pregnancy.
"I am proud to be joining the exceptional team at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic," said Spencer Wood. "I play many roles from educator to advocate to coordinator for families throughout their pregnancy. I look forward to working closely with our high risk mothers to ensure they get the highest quality, compassionate care."
Wood graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Genetic Counseling, a Bachelors in Biotechnology from Virginia Tech, and receiving training at the University of South Carolina Molecular Genetics Lab, Martha Jefferson Hospital, Mary Washington Healthcare, and the Medical University of South Carolina.
"I am very excited to welcome Spencer Wood to our highly specialized team of maternal fetal medicine specialists," said Lisa Valentine, Summerville Medical Center CEO. "He brings a commitment to providing prenatal genetic care that will be a significant resource for many families in our community. The genetic counseling program is a wonderful complement to our growing women's and children's program at Summerville Medical Center."
In September 2018, Summerville Medical Center is opening 30 new patient beds, additional labor and delivery rooms, and a neonatal ICU as the first major milestone in a $53 million expansion designed to improve access to the highest quality of services for women and children. The women's and children's hospital is scheduled to be completed and fully open in 2019.