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The University of Kentucky College of Medicine accepted its
first class in 1960. The Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology was founded about two years later, making it a
relatively young department when compared to others across
the nation, particularly among "flagship" state
universities. Dr. John W. Greene, Jr., was professor and
chair of the department for the first 27 years. He retired
as chair in June of 1990, and now serves in an emeritus
capacity. During these years, the Department developed an
excellent reputation for teaching, patient care, and
research. This continued under the direction of the next
chair, Frank Miller, MD, who was chair from 1990 to 1998,
and who stepped down to become President of the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists from 1999-2000.
Dr. Miller remains an active and distinguished member of our
department's maternal-fetal medicine faculty. Berry
Campbell, M.D., was chair from 1999 to 2001. James E.
Ferguson, M.D. was named chair of the department in
2002 and stepped down in 2009. During his tenure, Dr.
Ferguson raised the department's national recognition to the
highest levels yet. Wendy F. Hansen, M.D. is now the interim
chair.
The department is of moderate size for obstetrics and
gynecology. It is extremely well balanced with subspecialty
divisions of gynecologic oncology, reproductive
endocrinology, and maternal-fetal medicine, as well as a
division of general obstetrics and gynecology.
The gynecologic oncology division enjoys a national and
international reputation for excellence in teaching, patient
care, and research. Its fellowship is highly competitive and
outstanding fellows are selected each year. The faculty are
excellent clinicians and researchers. The division receives
funding from federal, University, and private grants and is
recognized as innovative in patient care and research.
The reproductive endocrinology division consists of two
board-certified sub-specialists and one basic science
faculty. This division enjoys significant grant support for
research in several aspects of reproductive endocrinology
and infertility.
The maternal-fetal medicine division has three clinical
faculty members. The division has members actively engaged in
sponsored research. The division recently added an
accredited maternal-fetal medicine fellowship program.
The department is responsible for patient care throughout
central, eastern, and south-central Kentucky. We are the
primary referral center for high-risk obstetrics,
gynecologic oncology, infertility, and endocrine disorders
for this entire region. The department regularly conducts
post-graduate education courses throughout the region as
well as specialty clinics in the Area Health Education
Centers. Our grand rounds features local and national
experts.
Former residents and faculty have formed the “John W.
Greene, Jr., Gynecologic Society,” an educational
organization with meetings every 18 months in the spring and
alternatively in the fall, usually here in Lexington. Former
residents and faculty look forward to this opportunity to
renew acquaintances and enjoy an outstanding educational
program.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is highly
regarded for excellence in teaching. We have received the
Department of Excellence Award for outstanding dedication to
teaching often in the past few years. This award is given by
the students to one clinical department each year. In
addition, Ob-Gyn faculty members have been selected as the
medical center's Outstanding Clinical Teachers (by the
third-year medical students), and our residents have been
awarded Outstanding Resident Teaching Awards, several times
in the recent past. For a program to be this highly regarded
by medical students, the residents and fellows must also be
actively involved in teaching.
The Medical Center is growing. The Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology occupies a new, state-of-the-art,
40,000 square foot labor/delivery/recovery area, one of the
most modern labor/delivery/recovery areas in the country.
The expansion and modernization of the departmental
facilities allows us to offer our broad range of services to
a greater number of Kentuckians, as well as patients from
other states.
We are excited about the department and the prospects for
the future. We believe once you visit our facilities and
meet our people, you will agree that we will soon be one of
the premier Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments in the
country.
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Wendy F. Hansen, M.D.
Interim Chair
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