About Us

Mary D'Alton, Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center

Mary E. D’Alton, MD, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology has long been a leader in advancing women’s reproductive health care. We are the birthplace of the Apgar score for assessing newborn health, the first institution in the country to perform an amniocentesis test, and the center that created RhoGAM, which has virtually eradicated Rh-incompatibility reactions that once accounted for hundreds of fetal and neonatal deaths and illnesses each year.

Since 1887, when the Sloane Hospital for Women first opened, our specialists have developed a reputation for national and international leadership in Ob/Gyn and for excellence in women’s healthcare. Our team has led efforts that have improved fetal and maternal outcomes in New York State and nationally, and continue to raise awareness and build consensus to improve quality and safety for our patients and women across the country. Our research continues to change practice: Investigations led by our faculty have introduced the chromosomal microarray test for genetic variations, which has become a standard of care in prenatal testing. We provide life-saving care to women of all ages, and through clinical practice, research, and advocacy, we work to ensure that women have a better quality of life.

Located at the heart of CUIMC's vibrant medical community, more than 100 physicians and over 40 post-graduate residents and fellows work together alongside researchers and clinicians across CUIMC to meet women’s health care needs. We remain committed to our mission to provide the best patient care, to train future Ob/Gyn leaders, to support innovative research, and to bring those innovations into clinical practice.