Jennifer Lewey
VerifiedUniversity of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 2005–2026
About
Jennifer Lewey, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Co-Director of the Pregnancy and Heart Disease Program and as Director of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Program at Penn Medicine. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Biology from Brandeis University, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and an M.P.H. in Clinical Effectiveness from Harvard School of Public Health. Her professional focus is on women's cardiovascular health, with particular expertise in cardiomyopathy in pregnancy and disparities in healthcare adherence. She has contributed to research on clinical characteristics and outcomes of peripartum cardiomyopathy, gender and racial disparities in statin therapy adherence, and the impact of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia on postpartum follow-up. Her work emphasizes improving cardiovascular care for women, especially during pregnancy, and addressing healthcare disparities.
Research topics
- Obstetrics
- Medicine
- Intensive care medicine
- Internal medicine
Selected publications
American Journal of Perinatology · 2026-01-28 · 1 citations
articleAbstract Despite higher morbidity and mortality risks, parents of preterm infants miss postpartum visits more often than parents of full-term infants. Whether the introduction of telemedicine improved access to postpartum care among parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is unknown. We aimed to compare postpartum visit attendance and care comprehensiveness for NICU parents before and after the option of telemedicine. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of postpartum parents without a history of hypertension who gave birth <32 weeks at two Philadelphia hospitals. We compared care receipt before and after implementation of telemedicine (2019 and 2023, respectively). Individuals with hypertension were excluded due to eligibility for a remote, text-based blood pressure monitoring program during the study period. Through manual chart review, we ascertained postpartum visit attendance and documentation of three core care elements: depression screening, contraception counseling, and blood pressure measurement. The proportion of parents without postpartum visits was similar in 2019 (13/69, 18.8%) and in 2023 (7/45, 15.6%; p = 0.65). While telemedicine was not available in 2019, 42.1% (16/38) of postpartum visits in 2023 were conducted via telemedicine. In 2019 and 2023, the proportion of visits with missed depression screenings (10.7 vs. 0%, p = 0.08) and contraception counseling (0 vs. 18.4%, p = 0.001) were low. Missed blood pressure measurements increased significantly from 3.9% in 2019 to 36.8% in 2023 (p < 0.0001); all missed measurements were during telemedicine visits. Despite the availability of telemedicine, approximately one in six NICU parents of preterm infants did not attend a postpartum visit. While telemedicine accounted for over one-third of visits in 2023, it was associated with gaps in essential care, specifically blood pressure measurements. Given the benefits of early detection and treatment for postpartum preeclampsia, supplementing telemedicine visits with in-person blood pressure measurements in NICUs may be warranted.
Birth · 2026-01-14
articleOpen accessOBJECTIVE: Weight bias is a source of stigma in healthcare, and obesity is disproportionately prevalent among Black and Hispanic individuals of reproductive age. However, relationships between body size and other forms of discrimination in perinatal settings remain poorly understood. Our objective was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and gendered racial microaggressions (GRM)-everyday discriminatory experiences related to race and gender-during perinatal care. METHODS: We studied a prospective cohort of Asian, Black, and Hispanic ("Global Majority") individuals who gave birth in four New York City and Philadelphia hospitals from March 2022-March 2023. Early pregnancy BMI was ascertained from weight and height recorded at first prenatal visit. Participants completed the validated GRM Scale, adapted for perinatal context by a community working group, during the birth hospitalization. We examined mean ± standard deviation (SD) GRM Scale score by BMI class and measured associations between BMI and GRM using multivariable Tweedie regression. RESULTS: ≤ BMI < 25), 29.9% overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30), 32.6% class I-II obesity (30 ≤ BMI < 40), and 10.3% class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40). Thirty-seven percent of participants reported experiencing at least one instance of GRM during perinatal care. Mean ± SD GRM Scale score (higher = more frequent) increased with BMI class, from 1.7 ± 3.8 among those with normal weight to 4.8 ± 9.3 with class III obesity; associations persisted after adjusting for age, education, parity, and late prenatal care. CONCLUSION: BMI is associated with perinatal GRM among Global Majority individuals. Intersectional research on weight bias and discrimination, incorporating patient and provider perspectives, is warranted for inclusive, respectful perinatal care.
26-A-10941-ACC PREGNANCY ASSOCIATED SCAD: A REPORT OF THE ISCAD REGISTRY
Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2026-03-27
articleJournal of the American College of Cardiology · 2026-03-27
articleFertility and Sterility · 2025-12-01
articleBJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · 2025-03-24 · 5 citations
articleOpen accessOBJECTIVE: To ascertain the perspectives and recommendations of Black individuals on their experience of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and its impact on maternal mental health (MMH). DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. SETTING: One tertiary hospital in the United States of America. POPULATION: Self-identified Black women who experienced sPTB between 24w0d and 33w6d of gestation from July 2020 to July 2022; participants were at least 18 years old and English-speaking. METHODS: Using a semi-structured interview guide grounded in the Sojourner Syndrome and the emancipatory paradigm, we explored perceptions of mental health symptoms, barriers and facilitators to MMH, and recommendations for improvement after sPTB. Data were analysed using modified grounded theory methodology, ensuring rigor through interrater reliability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Black women's experiences of mental health following sPTB, barriers and facilitators to MMH, and their recommendations for improving MMH after sPTB. RESULTS: Thirteen interviews were completed, averaging 1.5 years post-delivery. Interrater reliability showed almost perfect coding agreement (mean kappa 0.99 (SD 0.01)). Participants experienced self-blame, anxiety, isolation, and prolonged duration of mental health symptoms. Dismissiveness, neglect, and medical racism were mental health barriers. Person-centred care, family-centred care and racial congruency were mental health facilitators. Participants recommended transparent communication, specialised mental health providers, support groups, and culturally sensitive care to improve MMH. CONCLUSION: Black women with sPTB endured prolonged mental health sequelae heightened by neglect, dismissiveness, and medical racism. Participants recommended implementing family-centred, transparent care models with cultural sensitivity, support groups, and specialised mental health providers as ways to improve postpartum mental health.
Postpartum care in the neonatal intensive care unit, PeliCaN: a randomized controlled trial
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM · 2025-05-06 · 12 citations
articleMCN The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing · 2025-09-17
articleOpen accessPURPOSE: Research on remote monitoring for postpartum patients is lacking, particularly in a Spanish speaking population. We examined satisfaction and engagement with remote blood pressure monitoring by preferred language and other participant characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was an observational longitudinal ohort study of n = 388 Asian, Black, and Hispanic postpartum patients from four hospitals from Philadelphia and New York City recruited between 2022 and 2023. English and Spanish speaking patients were enrolled. Participants were asked to track their blood pressures for 12 weeks after birth via a two-way text platform. We examined engagement with the platform (≥70% response to text prompts). RESULTS: Most participants reported satisfaction with the program, with 92.0% of English speakers and 96.4% of Spanish speakers reporting satisfaction. Spanish speakers were more likely to engage in the program than English speakers (risk ratio: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.44; adjusted risk ratio: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.46). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Among Spanish speakers, text-message-based remote blood pressure monitoring during the postpartum period was satisfactory. Spanish speakers were just as, if not more, likely than English speakers to engage in the remote monitoring program, suggesting the potential utility of remote monitoring for postpartum follow-up among a population at increased risk of adverse maternal outcomes.
Fertility and Sterility · 2025-12-01
articleJournal of the American Heart Association · 2025-10-21 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes (GD) is associated with heart failure risk. However, the association of GD and postpartum early stages of myocardial dysfunction (a robust predictor of heart failure) as assessed by imaging has seldom been examined, especially among Hispanic women, who represent the fastest-growing ethnic minority population and have the highest prevalence of GD in US women. METHODS: We examined Hispanic women recruited to the Hispanic Community Study/Study of Latinos cohort, who reported at least 1 prior pregnancy and GD history at either visit 1 (2008-2011) or visit 2 (2014-2017) and echocardiographic assessments at visit 2. We used multivariable linear and logistic regression models to evaluate the associations between GD history and echocardiographic parameters. RESULTS: Among 2894 participants (mean age 53±9 years), 9.3% (n=270) had a GD history. After adjusting for cardiovascular disease risk factors, including current diabetes status, Hispanic women with GD history had higher mean adjusted left ventricular relative wall thickness (β=0.01 [95% CI, 0.00-0.02]), lateral peak early mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus ratio (β=0.49 [95% CI, 0.09-0.89]), abnormal left ventricular diastolic function (adjusted odds ratio, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.04-1.91]), and lower mean adjusted left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (β=-0.07 [95% CI, -0.12 to -0.02]) compared with those without prior GD history. Similar associations were observed in results stratified by the most recent glycemic status. CONCLUSIONS: History of GD was associated with a higher frequency and severity of myocardial diastolic abnormalities. Echocardiographic-based screening for myocardial dysfunction in women with GD history has the potential to help avert overt cardiovascular disease in this high-risk population.
Recent grants
Obesity Prevention in Postpartum Women at High-Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
NIH · $926k · 2020–2025
Frequent coauthors
- 42 shared
Niteesh K. Choudhry
- 36 shared
Anna Grodzinsky
Heart Institute
- 35 shared
Stanislav Henkin
Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center
- 35 shared
Heather L. Gornik
Case Western Reserve University
- 35 shared
Lisa D. Levine
University of Pennsylvania
- 35 shared
Connie N. Hess
Saint Luke's Hospital
- 35 shared
Sahar Naderi
Kaiser Permanente
- 35 shared
Malissa J. Wood
Lee Memorial Health System
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