The age-old question, “the chicken or the egg?” comes to mind when Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, MBA, chair of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) at Mass General Brigham (MGB), and Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH, chair of pediatrics at MGB and physician-in-chief at Mass General Brigham for Children, discuss the importance of prioritizing the continuum of care for women and children. It is the cyclical nature of this work — providing wraparound services and research-informed care throughout one’s lifespan, and oftentimes, before birth — that promotes seamless care across all ages. And it’s what Mass General Brigham does best.
“The concept of ‘a continuum’ means that we care for kids and families in the prenatal period all the way through older adulthood. We provide this continuum,” says Dr. Wolfe. “It might not necessarily be the same clinicians throughout the lifespan, but this idea helps us to have a more incorporated, thoughtful process around how we offer healthcare from the prenatal stage forward. This is only possible in a system like MGB, where you can access resources at several worldclass hospitals.”
“Integrating across all departments opens doors to so many things, It allows us to leverage the enormous and wide-ranging expertise and research infrastructure of not only Dr. Nour’s team, but all of Mass General Brigham.”
In the last year, MGB and its ability to offer care across the continuum has only grown stronger because of its coordinated, large-scale plan to consolidate its clinical services and divisions into single entities. Drs. Nour and Wolfe play key roles in this effort, spearheading the progress and enthusiasm of two central departments, OBGYN and pediatrics. Their leadership has been pivotal to its ongoing success as they lean on the shared mission of MGB’s hospitals and inspire colleagues and patients about the opportunities and impact change offers.
Powerhouses in Healthcare Combine
Dr. Nour joined Brigham and Women’s Hospital more than 25 years ago, where her passion for improving health outcomes and advancing equitable care for communities around Greater Boston flourished. In 2020, she became the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brigham — a department ranked number one in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, year after year — and, most recently, was named chair at MGB.
“Providing the same standard of care to all patients is part of who we are,” says Dr. Nour. “Now that we’re one department, you realize everyone feels this way. We all want to make sure our patients receive the same, excellent care no matter how they come to us, where they come from and where they’re seen — whether it’s the Brigham, Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital or another in our system. It’s empowering to see us come together and recognize we all strive for the same outcomes.”
Dr. Wolfe, a visionary lifelong pediatrician, was appointed to physician-in-chief in 2023 after her tenure at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She became one of the first to join MGB’s staff in an integrated leadership role, overseeing pediatrics throughout the system. Dr. Wolfe’s early insights have strategically informed the approach of this significant undertaking.
“The benefits of being one outweigh the costs,” says Dr. Wolfe. “Since we were already collaborating to care for children, we understood why it’s important to work together rather than compete.”
A Shared Camaraderie
Although Drs. Nour and Wolfe’s working relationship is relatively new, their similarities span decades, as their common commitment to champion compassionate and dignified care fueled their reasonings for entering the medical field in the first place. Dr. Nour, who was born in Sudan and grew up in Egypt and England, established the world-renowned African Women’s Health Center, which supports Boston’s African community — and especially women who have undergone female genital cutting — through holistic healthcare and outreach programs.
“We meet patients ‘where they’re at,’ no matter who they are,” Dr. Nour says, who was honored as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow for her work in establishing the Center, the only one of its kind. “It’s important to offer care that recognizes what might have brought a patient to a hospital. What are the issues, perhaps outside of the acute issues? We have to think comprehensively to truly treat and heal.”
This approach mirrors Dr. Wolfe’s lifelong dedication to pediatric palliative care. “I had experiences as a trainee where palliative care was not very formalized, and I felt we could do a better job,” she says. Like Dr. Nour, Dr. Wolfe recognized a gap in healthcare’s approach to helping patients and their families navigate difficult, oftentimes traumatic, situations. As a result, she became instrumental in creating Pediatric Palliative Care as a clinical discipline in the United States.
Improving the Continuum of Care Partnership
Historically, OBGYN and pediatrics have maintained a strong union throughout the system. When Dr. Nour solely led the Brigham’s OBGYN Department — which specializes in high-risk pregnancies and is home to the largest, most state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in New England — her team greatly relied on the expertise of Dr. Wolfe’s pediatricians, especially when newborns spent time in the NICU.
“Now that we’re one department, you realize everyone feels this way. We all want to make sure our patients receive the same, excellent care no matter how they come to us, where they come from and where they’re seen.”
“We were both known for our specialties,” says Dr. Nour. “Brigham has always been known for labor and delivery, and Mass General has had its own strengths, especially its children’s hospital being built within a larger hospital. So, there have always been lots of meetings, collaborations and conversations to make certain our mothers and their babies are supported — it’s always been multidisciplinary care, before, right after birth and onward.”
Now, Mass General Brigham’s integration expands those horizons, removing any red tape that might have hindered growth.
“Integrating across all departments opens doors to so many things,” Dr. Wolfe says. “It allows us to leverage the enormous and wide-ranging expertise and research infrastructure of not only Dr. Nour’s team, but all of Mass General Brigham, bridging vast disciplines and departments for a unified and truly interdisciplinary approach to care. Collaboration of this nature is the future of healthcare.”
The Next Era
As both respective departments continue to chart this new course, while more health system departments around them begin their journeys, the excitement is tangible. Drs. Nour and Wolfe agree there are limitless opportunities that lie ahead. “Yes, we’ll improve patients’ lives, but how so? Wouldn’t it be great if we cured endometriosis?” asks Dr. Nour. “It’s bringing the most innovative teams together to think about prevention and cures, and that’s powerful.”
“There are endless possibilities to align our practices and advocate for our patients to ultimately improve their experiences throughout their lives,” says Dr. Wolfe. “When you have access to every resource, you create inclusivity — for our caregivers and for the patients who depend upon us.”
And, while the five-year plan for OBGYN and pediatrics is still being built, the two will continue to grow their partnership by drawing from the ever-expanding number of cutting-edge resources — all in service of the continuum of care.
To learn more about or to support Drs. Nour and Wolfe, contact us.
