We welcome Dr. Patricia Pierce to our growing practice.
The need for maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) services in Las Vegas is growing, as more women have babies at an older age and go into pregnancy with preexisting health conditions that threaten their own and their babies’ health. To meet the demand, the High Risk Pregnancy Center is growing too.
It’s our goal to set the standard for high-risk pregnancy care in the Las Vegas Area. That means our doctors have to be the best, with exceptional training, experience and reputations. We are therefore happy to announce that Dr. Patricia M. Pierce has joined our team.
Dr. Pierce is a highly respected physician, who was honored as one of the top six OB/GYN doctors in Las Vegas in2014 by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. She has been treating patients in Las Vegas for over 20 years.
With Dr. Pierce and our addition of Dr. Lauren Giacobbe last fall, we now have eight maternal-fetal medicine specialists on staff, as well as three highly trained nurse practitioners who run our Diabetes Counseling Program.
We interviewed Dr. Pierce recently to learn about her motivations for making her move, her love of medicine and how she spends her time away from work.
HRPC: What made you decide to move practices and join us at the High Risk Pregnancy Center?
Dr. Pierce: I was attracted to the High Risk Pregnancy Center because of our cohesive team of specialists. The doctors here work so well together, sharing their own knowledge and expertise in a way that helps all of us ensure our patients the best outcomes possible.
HRPC: Do you have an area of maternal-fetal medicine you’re most interested in?
Dr. Pierce: I love ultrasound and the advances that have been made in the technology since I was in medical school. It used to be that you used ultrasound to watch and listen to the heartbeat. Today, you can do a full fetal exam, examining every part of the growing baby. We also do fetal echocardiography that uses ultrasound to look at the health of the heart and not just its beat. Our specialists can detect a heart defect at a very high rate greater than 85%. That’s an important point, because the average OB or radiology center can detect one only 35% of the time. Because of advances like these, we can offer moms more options, prepare them to assist their babies, and give women so much more hope.
HRPC: What do you like most about being a high-risk pregnancy specialist?
Dr. Pierce: My job is different every day, which is exciting and challenging. I am a doctor, but this specialty lets me be an educator and counselor as well. As a doctor, I try to provide compassionate, respectful management of my patients’ medical problems. I want them to be confident that the treatment advice I provide is based on my understanding of their unique situation and the years of training and experience I have in this field.
HRPC: What is your role as an educator?
Dr. Pierce: I strive to provide understandable reasons for the treatments I recommend. I also help patients make sense of all the information they get from other doctors, books, and online websites. While I encourage patients to learn as much about their health as possible, I know that medical terminology can be confusing, particularly if a family is in a stressful situation. I welcome questions from patients and their families during the visit.
HRPC: As a woman, do you offer a unique perspective to your patients?
Dr. Pierce: Actually, I offer a very empathetic one. I am very fortunate to have three teenage children (two of them twins). But as an older woman trying to start a family, I actually experienced a wide range of obstetric complications myself. This gives me a very personal level as to the huge impact a high-risk pregnancy can have on a family.
HRPC: When you’re not at the practice, do you have such a thing as free time?
Dr. Pierce. Not a lot of it. When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my kids and two rescue dogs. But I do enjoy traveling when I have the chance. And I relax by gardening, watching sports and crocheting. I make scarves for charities. I am a passionate supporter of causes improving the education and health care of women in developing countries. I also support Smile Train, an organization that provides free cleft lip and palate repair to children in developing countries, who would otherwise be shunned in the cultures they live in. A $250 surgery can change an entire life. That’s a cause to get behind!
Dr. Pierce will be working primarily at our Pinto and Post Road offices. Make sure to stop by and say hello the next time you’re in for a visit.