“Call the OR. We need to get this baby out now.”   

Michelle Wood will never forget the words spoken by her OB-GYN, Dr. Vinita Speir. Michelle had been resting during what began as routine labor when suddenly members of Hoag’s labor and delivery team rushed into her hospital room. “It was very scary,” Michelle said. “I was sobbing while they wheeled me down the hall to the operating room for an emergency cesarean section.” By the time they got there, Michelle was shaking uncontrollably. The mom-to-be’s blood pressure was dropping while her baby’s heart rate plummeted and remained dangerously low. Michelle later learned she had suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, an extremely rare and life-threatening obstetric complication.   

When seconds mattered, Hoag’s labor and delivery team intervened just in time. They were alerted to the sudden change in Michelle’s condition by PeriGen Vigilance, a sophisticated maternal fetal monitoring system made possible by a philanthropic investment from Hoag Innovators, a group of philanthropists advancing health care innovation. The system tracks maternal vital signs, contractions, fetal heart rate, and labor progression in one centralized view, allowing clinicians to more efficiently assess the overall status of both mother and baby and identify potential issues faster. PeriGen also uses artificial intelligence and other tools to provide continued analysis and an automated early warning system, notifying clinicians in real time of a potential risk and its level of urgency.  

Thanks to Hoag Innovators, every patient in Hoag’s labor and delivery units—both Newport Beach and Irvine—is tracked using the PeriGen Vigilance system.  

“We typically know if something acute is happening thanks to the alerts through PeriGen,” said Courtney Martin, DO, MHA, FACOG, quality improvement advisor, maternal-child health. “PeriGen is also especially valuable with patients who have been induced or who have been laboring for hours because the AI is going to interpret any changes over time to identify concerns in the maternal or fetal status.”  

Michelle understands PeriGen’s value firsthand. “I am grateful for people like Hoag Innovators who want to ensure all women and babies have a safe labor,” Michelle said. “Labor is a vulnerable time, and there is so much that can go wrong. It’s amazing to know there is technology that can make such a big difference. Without it, my son and I may not be here.”  

Though Dr. Speir performed a successful C-section in time, neither Michelle nor her new baby boy were out of the woods yet. The baby needed to be intubated immediately and was transported directly to Hoag’s NICU. Michelle’s blood was not clotting, putting her at risk for excessive bleeding. She needed to be closely monitored and receive clotting factor replacements. When Michelle was deemed stable enough, her nurse escorted her to the NICU to meet and hold her baby for the first time. It was then Michelle and her husband Andrew were finally able to name their son, Ethan. Baby Ethan spent a few days in the NICU before being discharged with a clean bill of health. Michelle remained at Hoag to recover for a week before being discharged—overjoyed to be reunited with Ethan and Andrew at home.    

“When I pitched the PeriGen Vigilance project to Hoag Innovators, I knew the technology would have a profound impact on our ability to provide the highest level of advanced maternity care to our patients,” said Lisa Karamardian, MD, FACOG, Jeffrey M. Carlton Endowed Chair in Women’s Health, in honor of Dr. Anne M. Kent, and division chief of obstetrics/gynecology. “Amniotic fluid embolism is a leading cause of maternal death during childbirth, with early detection and immediate treatment being crucial for survival. It is gratifying to see how Hoag Innovators’ support provided the tools to aid early recognition to save this wonderful family and will make a difference in the lives of countless moms and babies in the future.”  

Today, seven-month-old Ethan is thriving, active, and keeping his parents on their toes. Michelle cherishes every moment, especially watching him experience the world for the first time. “I’m just so grateful I went to Hoag,” Michelle said. “The care was truly the best I could have received.”

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