<p>Praising her as a leader in clinical practice, education, research and the community, Brown University and Care New England Health System officials announced that Dr. Maureen G. Phipps will be the new chair of OB-GYN and assistant dean in the Alpert Medical School, and chief of OB-GYN in the health system.</p>

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University and Care New England Health System have named Dr. Maureen G. Phipps the new chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and assistant dean for Teaching and Research on Women’s Health in the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and the executive chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Care New England. 

Brown Provost Dr. Mark Schlissel, interim dean of medicine and biological sciences, and Constance A. Howes, president and CEO of Women & Infants, and Dennis D. Keefe, president and CEO at Care New England, made the joint announcement today. The appointments are effective Sept. 1.

Phipps, who will hold the Chace-Joukowsky Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology, said her vision is to develop interdisciplinary and inter-institutional programs that facilitate research, curriculum development and integrated clinical programs linked to translational research in women’s health. These responsibilities dovetail with the medical school-hospital affiliation agreement signed in 2012, which designates Women & Infants as the major teaching affiliate for services unique to women and newborns for the Warren Alpert Medical School and the Care New England hospitals.

“I am honored and excited to have been selected to serve as chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Brown and Women & Infants Hospital and to lead this talented department with its unmatched quality clinical care in all areas of obstetrics and gynecology, unyielding commitment to patient safety, resolute dedication to resident and medical student education and passion for research and innovation,” Phipps said. “The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Alpert Medical School and Women & Infants Hospital continues to be one of the leading departments of obstetrics and gynecology in the country. My focus as chair and assistant dean will be to work collaboratively to grow academic and clinical leaders, enhance models for clinical and teaching excellence, and advance innovative science and community partnerships.

Schlissel praised Phipps as someone who embodies excellence in each of the many roles her position requires: physician, teacher, researcher, administrator and community leader at the hospital, in the medical school, and in the school of public health.

"I am very pleased that Dr. Phipps has accepted this appointment," Schlissel said. "Time and again she has demonstrated a remarkable ability to lead our shared efforts to advance women's health and obstetric care, moving us forward in the classroom, the clinic, the community and in research."

Howes joined in praising Phipps’ impact and accomplishments.

“From the time she trained at Women & Infants, through her heading up the Brown/Women & Infants National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, to this new leadership role, Dr. Phipps has demonstrated expertise and academic and research prominence, all with a reputation for collegiality,” Howes said.

Keefe added his enthusiasm for Dr. Phipps’ appointment: “I can think of no finer professional to carry on the proud legacy of the department both at Brown and Women & Infants – and to take it to the next level as we extend her leadership across the Care New England system and as we work collaboratively with the Alpert Medical School and the full provider community to make inroads in academic medicine and health care delivery for women and their families.”

About Dr. Maureen Phipps

Phipps, professor in the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Epidemiology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and in the Brown School of Public Health, has led numerous initiatives at Brown, Women & Infants and in Rhode Island. She served as department chair in an interim capacity; directed the Brown/Women & Infants Hospital National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health; led the Rhode Island Task Force on Preterm Birth; was co-principal investigator for the Brown University National Children’s Study Center; and chairs the Rhode Island Chapter of the March of Dimes Board.

In addition to the National Children’s Study Center, Phipps has been the principal investigator or co-investigator in numerous projects and programs funded through the National Institutes of Health and other agencies, including the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Scholars Program; the Children’s Environmental Health Formative Center; ESCUCHE-a program to improve health and science literacy; FIT for Delivery; Project REACH, a study to prevent postpartum depression in adolescent mothers; and several other projects related to women’s health and obstetric outcomes.

Phipps has been recognized on numerous occasions as an outstanding teacher and mentor, including being recognized nationally with the American Congress of Obstetrics & Gynecology Mentor Award for District I (National Recognition Award), the Council on Residency Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence in Teaching Award (National Recognition Award), and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching Award (National Recognition Award).

Phipps earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and her residency in obstetrics in gynecology from Brown/Women & Infants. She completed her master’s in public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and a fellowship through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program.