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Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abbey Merryman, MD, MBA

Division Director


The Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology is the largest division with 25 physicians and 7 advanced practice providers. This diverse group provides routine gynecologic care of all ages and complete care for pregnancy as well as routine and complex gynecologic disorders.

Dr. Rachel Maassen currently heads the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and serves as the Departmental Vice Chair for Operations and the Medical Chief of Staff for the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Dr. Katie Huber-Keener serves as the Assistant Division Director and holds an appointment as the Director of Cancer Survivorship for the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Members of the division provide clinical care to patients at the following locations: University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Iowa City – North Dodge Clinic, Iowa River Landing in Coralville, Emma Goldman Woman’s Clinic in Iowa City, with outreach clinics and minor surgical procedures in Muscatine and Davenport. Most physicians in the division have a “private practice” at these locations in which obstetric and gynecologic patients are seen and followed by a faculty physician only while precepting medical students.

In addition to the private clinics, the division also staffs the following specialty clinics.


Specialty Clinics

Vulvar and Vaginal Diseases

An integrated team provides care to women suffering from vaginal and vulvar problems.

Fibroid Clinic

Complete consultation regarding a woman’s options for treatment of fibroid tumors discussing medical and surgical with the ability to consult with interventional radiology for uterine artery or fibroid embolization.

Procedure Clinic

Hysteroscopy and other minor procedures are performed in an office setting with IV sedation.

Complex Contraception Clinic

Provides family planning expertise to women whose contraceptive choices are affected by coexisting medical problems

Menopause Clinic

Comprehensive counseling regarding medical treatment options for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic

Provides comprehensive evaluation and management of chronic pelvic pain with the opportunity to partner with pelvic floor physical therapy and pain psychology.

Colposcopy Clinic

Offers diagnosis and treatment for women with abnormal Pap smears in accordance with the latest national guidelines.

High Risk Breast and Gynecology Clinic

Offers comprehensive care for women with family history of female cancers, genetic mutations, and breast cancer survivors.

Maternal Substance Use Disorder Clinic

Offers comprehensive care for pregnant women with current or past substance use disorder.

Pediatric and Adolescent Clinic

Offers comprehensive gynecologic care for children and adolescents.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Clinic

Offers breast exams, pelvic exams, menopause care, obstetric care, surgical consultations for gender affirming surgery.

Resident Continuity of Care Clinic

 

The division also partners with several offsite institutions to provide gynecologic and antenatal care in the community.

  • VA Hospital Iowa City
  • Emma Goldman
  • Planned Parenthood
  • Iowa Department of Corrections
  • Free Medical Clinic

Office, outpatient, and inpatient gynecologic surgery including most minimally invasive options performed by a subset of the faculty. Most surgical interventions are completed at the main campus with minor procedures being offered at Iowa River Landing and Unity Point Hospital in Muscatine.

The division provides most of the labor and delivery coverage, sharing only the weekend coverage with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Division. This includes in house and back up call for the obstetric, family medicine, and certified nurse midwifery services.  The division also covers urgent and emergency gynecologic care through the main campus clinic, the emergency department, inpatient care, and consultations, as well as urgent surgical cases.

Resident and medical student clinical teaching occurs during specialty clinics, labor and delivery care, procedures, surgeries, and urgent gynecologic coverage.  Didactic teaching for both resident and medical students is also completed by the division members on a regular basis with scheduled lectures.