Micah Vaughn-Valencia, MD

Biography

Offering compassionate care for mother and baby

Micah Vaughn-Valencia, M.D., supports moms and their babies on the journey to delivery.

As a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, he treats patients for a wide range of conditions during pregnancy — from the routine to the unexpected.

On any given day, he’s caring for people with high-risk pregnancies and fetal abnormalities and helping moms stay in the best health possible during the months before their baby is born.

Vaughn-Valencia is part of the maternal-fetal medicine team and treats patients who have diabetes, preterm labor, preeclampsia, heart disease and other conditions.

He says it’s the kind of care that relies on empathy as well as expertise.

“Maternal-fetal medicine requires an innovative mind and a compassionate heart,” Vaughn-Valencia says. “I’m dedicated to improving every patient’s health and supporting them during difficult times.”

He came to VCU Health after completing his residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he took part in a fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. While studying there, he was also director of a student-run clinic in Austin supporting disadvantaged, underserved and uninsured patients. Over the years, he has also worked alongside physician-researchers to study medical and obstetric-related complications of pregnancy, and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed medical journal articles.

Vaughn-Valencia, who is also a part of VCU Health’s obstetrics and gynecology team, was also drawn here by the opportunity to help train the next generation of providers in the field through his role as an assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “It was the warm and welcoming atmosphere that drew me to VCU,” he says.

He says maternal-fetal care requires collaboration with a team of nurses, sonographers and other providers to keep mother and baby in the best health possible and to support both patients if unexpected issues arise during pregnancy.

“No one plans for complications when they are expecting a baby but high-risk obstetrics is full of challenging problems and nearly unbearable situations,” he says. “Navigating the emotions of patients and families during these difficult times requires compassion and understanding.”

Research Interests:

Prenatal ultrasound and fetal growth, maternal obesity, maternal diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy