When Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, FACOG, stepped into her new role as the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s chair of obstetrics and gynecology, she did so with a clear sense of urgency — and a proven record of translating urgency into action.
A nationally recognized maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Rana is widely known for her work in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and for developing scalable, evidence-based models that improve outcomes while reducing disparities. Now with Nebraska Medicine and UNMC, she brings that same systems-level approach to a state facing some of the most pressing maternal health challenges in the country.
“Maternal mortality in the United States is higher than in every other developed nation,” Dr. Rana says. “And Nebraska is not immune. We see disparities across race, geography and access — rural and urban alike.”
From research to clinical impact
Dr. Rana’s career has been defined by her ability to move discoveries from bench to bedside. Her work on angiogenic biomarkers — blood-based tests that more accurately assess risk for severe preeclampsia — spans more than two decades. After FDA approval in 2023, she helped lead some of the earliest real-world implementation studies demonstrating how biomarker-guided care can meaningfully improve risk stratification and clinical decision-making.
That work is already influencing care in Nebraska. Nebraska Medicine is the first health system in the state to systematically implement angiogenic biomarker testing for patients at risk of preeclampsia, an important step toward safer, more individualized obstetrical care.
“These biomarkers allow us to identify who is truly high risk and who is not,” Dr. Rana explains. “That distinction matters — especially in rural settings — because it informs decisions about monitoring, transfer and where patients can safely deliver.”
While testing is currently offered as a send-out, plans are underway to establish in-house capability and to expand access through coordinated partnerships across the state.
A collaborative leadership philosophy
If asked to describe her leadership style in a single word, Dr. Rana chooses “collaborative.” She emphasizes team-based care, shared accountability and empowering clinicians at every level — from community health workers to subspecialists.
“I really believe that everyone on the team has an essential role,” she says. “Programs succeed when people feel ownership and are supported to do their best work.”
That philosophy guided her previous role as chief obstetrical transformation officer at the University of Chicago, where she led the development of large-scale, replicable programs across academic and safety-net settings. Many of those models now inform her vision for Nebraska.
Confronting maternal health deserts
Central to Dr. Rana’s agenda is obstetrical transformation — a coordinated, statewide effort to improve outcomes while addressing longstanding gaps in access. Nebraska faces significant challenges, including limited availability of maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists, long travel distances for high-risk care and inconsistent postpartum follow-up.
“We have counties where thousands of babies are born each year without local OB-GYN access,” she notes. “That reality demands a different approach.”
That approach is embodied in EMBRACE (Excellence and Maternal Birth Outcomes through Rigorous Assessment and Community Engagement) – a comprehensive framework designed to elevate maternal care across the state. EMBRACE, Nebraska brings together clinical innovation, community partnerships and rigorous evaluation to ensure care is delivered at the right level, at the right time.
Under the EMBRACE model, obstetrical transformation focuses on four interconnected pillars:
High-risk specialty pregnancy care, including community-based access to MFM expertise, telehealth consultation and biomarker-informed risk assessment.
Expanded ultrasound access, supported by trained sonographers, real-time remote interpretation and mobile solutions for underserved areas.
Stronger labor and delivery partnerships, including shared protocols, simulation training and streamlined maternal transport.
Evidence-based supportive programs, such as standardized hypertension management and postpartum remote monitoring.
The goal, Dr. Rana emphasizes, is not centralization for its own sake, but coordinated, risk-appropriate care — with Nebraska Medicine serving as a clinical and operational hub that supports community-based providers across the state.
Redefining postpartum care
One of the most impactful initiatives Dr. Rana brings to Nebraska is STAMPP-HTN (Systematic Treatment and Management of Postpartum Hypertension). Developed during her tenure in Chicago, the program combines patient education, remote blood pressure monitoring, standardized treatment protocols and community health worker engagement.
The results have been compelling. Prior implementations showed dramatic improvements in postpartum follow-up and effectively eliminated racial disparities in hypertension monitoring. The program has since expanded to multiple health systems nationwide.
“In the postpartum period, too many patients fall through the cracks,” Dr. Rana says. “Remote monitoring allows us to stay connected during a time when travel, recovery and childcare make in-person visits difficult — especially in rural communities.”
The Nebraska Medicine STAMPP-HTN program is launching in early 2026 – with plans for broader expansion through partnerships with community hospitals and the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPIC). Through NPIC, the program has the potential to scale across delivering hospitals statewide, creating a shared, evidence-based approach to postpartum hypertension management.
Community engagement as a clinical strategy
Community engagement is a cornerstone of Dr. Rana’s vision. Through EMBRACE, Nebraska, federally qualified health centers — including Charles Drew Health Center and OneWorld Community Health — will play a central role in extending care beyond traditional clinical settings.
These FQHC partners will help bridge gaps in access through embedded community health workers who support patients facing barriers related to transportation, language, insurance status and continuity of care.
To ensure these community health workers are supported and effective, Dr. Rana is working closely with Shanda Ross, director of the Office of Community Engagement. Under her leadership, the OCE will provide supervision, training and professional development — strengthening the workforce that serves as a critical link between patients, clinics and health systems.
“Involving communities from the beginning makes programs stronger,” Dr. Rana says. “We listen, we adapt and we build solutions together.”
Looking ahead
Dr. Rana is quick to acknowledge that progress depends on alignment — across clinicians, administrators and community partners alike. Support from Nebraska Medicine and UNMC leadership, along with statewide collaboration through NPIC and EMBRACE, Nebraska, has been instrumental in moving from vision to implementation.
“This is challenging work,” she says. “But when everyone is aligned around improving maternal health for an entire state, real change becomes possible.”
For physicians across Nebraska — whether practicing in academic centers or rural hospitals — Dr. Rana’s message is one of partnership.
“Our goal is simple,” she says. “Healthier mothers. Healthier babies. Everywhere.”