Partnering With You: How the Fetal Care Center Works With Referring MFMs

Most pregnancies, even high-risk pregnancies, don’t require the services of a fetal care center like ours. But for those that do, we’re here as an extension of the mother’s existing care team — not a replacement.

What does this mean for community MFMs?

When you refer a patient to Connecticut Children’s Fetal Care Center, you’re not handing them off. You’re gaining a team of partners who work with you.

That includes:

• Renowned fetal surgeon Timothy Crombleholme, MD, FACS, FAAP, who directs our center
• Neonatologists, pediatric subspecialists and others who focus exclusively on the evaluation and management of complex fetal conditions

Together, we counsel families through difficult treatment decisions and provide mom and baby with the specialized care they need during pregnancy. For babies who will have complex medical needs, we set up newborn and pediatric care services, too.

Your role as the patient’s MFM remains essential.

We coordinate with you before, during and after a patient’s visit. We share consult notes, imaging and care plans so you’re always in the loop. After the family’s initial consultation, Dr. Crombleholme will personally call to update you and discuss next steps.

Throughout, your patient stays your patient. And your expertise and relationship with the family remain central.
 

Expectant parents don’t have to start over when they walk through our doors. They keep the MFM provider they trust. We simply add resources around them: subspecialists, pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, genetic counselors, nurse coordinators and more.

From the family’s perspective, this means fewer unknowns and less legwork.

We handle the logistics behind the scenes, so the referring MFM and our Fetal Care Center team are always aligned and accessible. As one parent recently told us, “It felt like everyone was talking to each other. I didn’t have to repeat anything or figure out who to call. That made such a difference.”

We also make sure expectant parents get the support they need during what is often a vulnerable time.

We’re here to get to know them, help them make the best decisions for their family, and connect them with all the care they need.

>Related: Need Fetal Care for a High-Risk Pregnancy? 6 Factors to Consider

Fetal conditions are complex. Many require rapid decision-making, multiple specialties, and coordinated planning before and after birth.

Our center is structured to bring all this together in person, in one place — not only for efficiency and patient experience, but because it drives better outcomes.

This collaborative approach is what sets a fetal care center apart. It’s what makes Connecticut Children’s one of the top in the nation.

Our approach is grounded in partnership: with families, with each other and with referring providers. When patients and referring providers have any questions or concerns, we are just a phone call away. 

4. A partnership in action: Elisabeth’s story

When Baby Elisabeth was diagnosed with a rare lung mass known as a CPAM, her parents were referred to Connecticut Children’s Fetal Care Center.

Their referring MFM remained their primary guide, while our Fetal Care Center helped coordinate subspecialty consultations, surgical planning and delivery preparation. Throughout the process, the MFM and our team shared updates and imaging, discussed next steps and made decisions together.

Elisabeth’s care was seamless, from diagnosis to surgery to recovery. Today, she’s thriving.

Her family never had to choose between providers. They had a team — one that included everyone who mattered.