Kara Rood, MD

About Me

As a maternal fetal medicine physician, every day that I practice medicine in the office or on the labor floor is completely different. I often refer to my specialty as “surprise medicine” since I never know what to expect when helping high-risk pregnant patients. I often see patients who are managing complex conditions during pregnancy, including hypertension, substance use or cancer, to name a few. I also use ultrasounds to diagnose fetal anomalies such as brain and heart defects and perform amniocentesis to check for genetic abnormalities. Part of my job involves consulting patients about lethal fetal anomalies and other issues that can affect growth and survival of unborn and newborn babies.

Academia is a rigorous career path, but reaps many rewards. By working at an academic medical center, I have freedom to dig deep into important questions and share answers with my peer academics, students and practitioners. Before coming to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, I was actively involved in the research and publishing of peer-reviewed journals and textbooks. I’m pleased to continue research on hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, substance use and misuse during pregnancy, and postpartum hemorrhage.

Highlights

• Medical Director of Substance Abuse, Treatment, Education and Prevention Program (STEPP)

Procedures and Conditions I Treat

• Preeclampsia
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy, High-Risk
• Reproductive Health
• Women's Health
• Obstetrics
• Gynecology
• Substance-Related Disorders