At Johns Hopkins, transformation is not a moment — it’s a mindset.

The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics is not simply growing; we are redefining what’s possible in reproductive health. With bold vision and relentless drive, we are setting new national and global standards in clinical care, research, education and advocacy.

For the first time in our department’s history — and now for two consecutive years — we have been ranked the #1 Gyn/Ob department in the nation on Newsweek’s list of The World’s Best Specialized Hospitals, and #2 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. These honors are not milestones — they are markers of a mission in motion.

Our success is no accident. It is rooted in a deep commitment to our “quad partite mission” — delivering exceptional clinical care, producing paradigm-shifting research, training the next generation of leaders and standing firmly in advocacy, especially for improving access and outcomes in reproductive health care across communities.

Today, reproductive health care remains one of the most underfunded, unevenly distributed and overlooked sectors in American medicine. In nearly 40% of U.S. counties, there are no practicing Gyn/Ob clinicians, no hospitals where babies can be safely delivered. We see that reality not as a deterrent, but as a call to lead.

And lead we have. Across Maryland and the Greater Washington region, our inclusive and accessible model of care has expanded significantly. We’ve strengthened our clinical reach, introduced new subspecialties — including urogynecology and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery — and broadened our reproductive endocrinology and infertility services. In 2023, we opened a state-of-the-art fertility center at Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Maryland, offering a comprehensive suite of treatments under one roof. Since 2018, our fertility services have quadrupled, an unmistakable sign of both rising demand and clinical excellence.

These advancements are underpinned by a technical revolution in care delivery. Just a decade ago, most gynecologic surgeries were open procedures; today, 95% are performed using minimally invasive techniques, even for complex cancer cases. Our patients experience faster recoveries and fewer complications — outcomes that speak volumes about the power of innovation when paired with world-class expertise.

Our research is just as dynamic. Our investigators are not only asking bold questions — they’re delivering answers that save lives. Studies funded by prestigious philanthropic and federal organizations have uncovered groundbreaking insights, including the discovery that most ovarian cancers originate in the fallopian tubes — a finding now reshaping preventive strategies worldwide. We are aggressively pursuing barriers to fertility, including fibroids and polycystic ovary syndrome, and leveraging precision medicine to explore hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and persistent urinary tract infections with greater granularity than ever before.

We are also proud to be home to one of the world’s leading centers for fetal therapy — one of only a few nationwide that seamlessly integrate fetal, maternal and pediatric care in a single, multidisciplinary environment. Here, families receive not only exceptional medical care, but compassion-driven, individualized treatment plans created through true collaboration.

Our workforce reflects our ambition. The department now includes approximately 150 physicians — more than double the number from a decade ago — including 60 residents and fellows, and other learners. Each year, we receive nearly 1,000 applications for just nine residency slots, underscoring the prestige of our programs and the caliber of talent we attract. We continue to invest in our trainees, ensuring the future of reproductive health is in expert hands.

Our impact is expansive: approaching 10,000 deliveries and 10,000 gynecologic surgeries annually, supported by hundreds of thousands of ambulatory visits. Behind these numbers is a deep sense of purpose — to bring the highest quality reproductive care to every patient, everywhere.

The COVID-19 pandemic tested our resilience, but we never faltered. With rigorous safety protocols and tireless dedication, we ensured that care continued uninterrupted — because pregnancies do not pause for pandemics.

This is what leadership looks like. This is what transformation feels like.

I could not be prouder of this department — our clinicians, scientists, educators, trainees and administrators. Together, we are advancing reproductive care not just for today, but for generations to come. While the challenges ahead are real, our collective resolve is stronger. The future of reproductive health will be shaped by those who approach it with urgency, innovation and purpose — and we are leading that charge.