Maureen G. Phipps, MD, MPH, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and executive chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Care New England Health System, has been appointed to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) as one of its newest members.
Phipps is the Chair and Chace-Joukowsky Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and assistant dean for teaching and research in women's health at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health.
“Dr. Phipps has shown incredible leadership in women’s health in our state, in our region, and indeed, throughout the industry,” said Dennis Keefe, president and CEO of Care New England Health System, the parent of Butler, Kent, Memorial and Women & Infants Hospitals, as well as the Care New England Wellness Center and the VNA of Care New England. “We are so pleased that, through her involvement with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Dr. Phipps will have an even stronger voice in transforming the future of health care for generations to come.”
“Women & Infants Hospital is proud to congratulate Dr. Phipps on this prestigious new appointment,” said Mark Marcantano, acting president of Women & Infants Hospital. “We are confident that her dedication to evidence-based medicine will serve the Task Force, health care professionals, patients, and the nation well.”
“On behalf of my fellow Task Force members, I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Maureen Phipps to the Task Force,” said Dr. Virginia Moyer, Task Force chair. “Dr. Phipps has conducted extensive research in obstetrics and gynecology, with a focus on improving health among vulnerable populations, improving pregnancy outcomes, and reducing disparities and adolescent pregnancies. I look forward to working with her to fulfill the Task Force’s mission of improving clinical preventive care for all Americans.”
The Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Members come from many health-related fields, including internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, behavioral health, obstetrics/gynecology, and nursing. Members are appointed to serve a four-year term by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with guidance from Task Force leadership.
Dr. Phipps’ research focuses on improving health for vulnerable populations and her research interests include adolescent pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, postpartum depression, prenatal care, contraception, and reducing disparities. She is an associate editor for the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and past chair of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women.
Dr. Phipps previously directed the Brown/Women & Infants Hospital National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, led the Rhode Island Task Force on Preterm Birth, and was co-principal investigator for the Brown University National Children’s Study Center. In addition, Dr. Phipps has been the principal investigator or co-investigator in numerous projects and programs, including the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Scholars Program; the Children’s Environmental Health Formative Center; Fit for Delivery; Project REACH (Relax, Encourage, Appreciate, Communicate, Help), a study to prevent postpartum depression in adolescent mothers; and several other projects related to women’s health and obstetric outcomes.
Dr. Phipps received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Boston College. She earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Brown University/Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. She completed her masters in public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program.
About the Task Force
The Task Force is an independent volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. The Task Force works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services, such as screenings, counseling services, or preventive medicines. More information on the Task Force is available at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.