Letter from Dr. James Hole, Medical Director

Since Valley Children’s Hospital first opened in 1952, its mission has been to provide high-quality, comprehensive healthcare services to children, regardless of their ability to pay and to continuously improve the health and well-being of children in the Central Valley. In 1971, this mission extended to neonatal care with eight NICU beds and now provides NICU care across the Central Valley and with the only regional Level IV NICU in Central California, with 88 beds at the Madera campus site. Neonatal and pediatric care is optimal when it begins with the fetus during pregnancy. This is why Valley Children’s began to offer this care to the Central Valley, with the initiation of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) services in the summer of 2010. Starting with two MFM subspecialists, the program has expanded across the region to three sites (the main center located in Valley Children’s Hospital and two additions centers in Visalia and Merced) staffed by up to nine MFM physicians.

Maternal-Fetal Medicine subspecialists provide care for two patients at the same time (mother-to-be and fetus) and partner with the patient’s care provider, family and genetics/neonatal/pediatric care teams to achieve the best possible outcome. Valley Children’s MFM program can provide preconception care, ultrasound evaluation -- including 3D and 4D ultrasounds -- as well as fetal echocardiography for prenatal diagnosis, non-invasive and invasive fetal testing, fetal MRI, co-management or primary management of maternal and fetal pregnancy complications. These services mean fetal therapeutic procedures can be performed closer to the patient’s home versus requiring travel to sites outside the Central Valley, improving access and ease of care. Valley Children’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine program also provides in-patient care for high-risk maternal transports from hospitals across the entire region. In conjunction with Valley Children's high-risk prenatal and delivery service, comprehensive care for all stages of pregnancy can be provided if requested by the primary obstetrical provider.

Valley Children’s MFM program’s goal is to provide comprehensive care of the highest quality for mothers-to-be and their babies without the patient or family having to travel significant distances out of the Central Valley.

James Hole, DO
Medical Director, Valley Children's Healthcare Maternal Fetal Center