PROVIDENCE – Dr. Donald R. Coustan, of Jamestown, director of the Prenatal Diabetes Program in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, has been recognized as a “Giant in Obstetrics and Gynecology.”
This recognition is part of a series by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology through which AJOG recognizes individuals who have changed the practice of medicine.
Coustan is an internationally recognized expert on the management of diabetes in pregnancy and is the author of more than 200 research papers and scholarly publications. He was chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University from 1991 to 2008.
“This is a wonderful honor for Dr. Coustan and the hospital in general,” said Diane Rafferty, interim president and chief operating officer of Women & Infants Hospital, a Care New England hospital. “Dr. Coustan, like so many of our physicians, works tirelessly every day to help improve the lives of women. Through his innovative work in the field of maternal-fetal medicine, and in particular his groundbreaking research on treating diabetes in pregnancy, he has impacted women’s health care in unique and valuable ways.”
According to Dr. Maureen G. Phipps, chair and Chace-Joukowsky professor of obstetrics and gynecology and assistant dean for teaching and research in women’s health at the Warren Alpert Medical School, professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Women & Infants Hospital and Care New England Health System, “In the field of medicine, there are physicians who rise above, break new ground and inspire others, making an indelible mark on all aspects of medicine, including clinical care, research and education. Dr. Don Coustan has been a role model and mentor to so many physicians, and we are very proud of him on this wonderful recognition of so many of his achievements.”
The profile in this month’s AJOG offers insight into Coustan’s career in clinical care, education and research, and answers such questions as why he chose obstetrics and gynecology and how he developed his passion for finding new and better treatments for gestational diabetes.
Rob Borkowski is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Borkowski@PBN.com.
