Event Phone: 608-775-4747

Presenter: Abigail Wilpers, Ph.D., WHNP-BC

Abigail Wilpers, Ph.D., WHNP-BC, is a postdoctoral fellow in the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale. She comes from the small but rapidly growing field of maternal-fetal surgery, which falls under her broader passion and focus on reproductive justice and enhancing care and equity following fetal diagnosis.

Dr. Wilpers received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and her Master of Science from the Yale School of Nursing. She received her doctorate at the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar. Her dissertation research identified critical components of nursing practice in the multidisciplinary approach to fetal diagnosis and management. After graduation, Dr. Wilpers was appointed to the Maternal-Fetal Health Postdoctoral Research Associateship at the Yale School of Medicine where she completed a year of mentored training in clinical research to improve the health of mothers and infants.

As a member of the Fetal Care Center team at Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. Wilpers has cared for women and families whose pregnancies are complicated by fetal anomalies. She is also active on a national and international level, serving on the Board of Directors of the Fetal Therapy Nurse Network (FTNN) and the Fetal Health Foundation, and serving as a co-chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee of the North American Fetal Therapy Network (NAFTNet). As a member of the New Haven community, Dr. Wilpers is proud to serve on the Board of Directors of Hope After Loss, a non-profit organization that supports local families experiencing perinatal loss.

Topic: The Parental Journey of Fetal Care

Understanding the commonalities of the parental experience of fetal care across diverse settings creates a foundation for improving care and better meeting the needs of parents undergoing a painful and life-defining event. Although health outcomes are not always positive, a positive healthcare experience is possible and can assist parents in coping with their grief, managing their expectations, and engaging in their care. This presentation shares the findings of a systematic review and metasynthesis conducted at Yale School of Medicine, illustrating how healthcare delivery can facilitate or obstruct a positive experience for patients in fetal care centers who identify as parents.