In-house test for preeclampsia first in Georgia and “game changer” for MCG

When Abby Vendrillo’s blood pressure spiked 25 weeks into her pregnancy in 2025, her OB-GYN insisted she needed to be seen by the Medical College of Georgia’s maternal-fetal medicine team at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center in Augusta.

Vendrillo is an emergency medical technician and her husband, Lucas, is a paramedic. They both understood the risks of a rapid rise in blood pressure during pregnancy, so they traveled two hours to Augusta from their hometown of Comer, Georgia.

“It was the week of Christmas,” Abby Vendrillo said, laughing and shaking her head. “We had a lot going on, but we were like, ‘OK, we’ll come to Augusta.’ We thought that they would give me some blood pressure medicine or something. Instead, we ended up having to stay here.”

The maternal-fetal medicine team at Wellstar MCG Health drew a blood sample to test for her risk of developing severe preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder that can occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period for the mother. 

“There’s no more waiting and waiting to see what’s going to happen. It’s a huge peace of mind for us. Having the in-house testing for preeclampsia is going to be a game changer.”

Abby Vendrillo

In Georgia, preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy affect 5% to 8% of all pregnancies and can lead to seizure, stroke, multiple-organ failure and even the death of the mother and/or baby. 

At the time, Wellstar MCG Health needed to send the blood sample to the Mayo Clinic for testing. Meanwhile, the staff closely monitored Abby Vendrillo’s condition for several days while waiting for the test results. 

“We came to Augusta on Dec. 19 and then we were discharged on Dec. 24,” Abby Vendrillo said, explaining she begged the physicians to let her go home for Christmas. “Well, they called me that night, literally two hours after we were discharged. We were pulling into our driveway on Christmas Eve when they called and said, ‘We need you to come back.’” 

The test results from the Mayo Clinic showed she had an increased risk for developing severe preeclampsia.

“I developed a severe feature which was flash pulmonary edema,” Abby Vendrillo said, explaining that is a life-threatening medical condition where sudden, severe fluid buildup rapidly develops in the lungs. “We immediately returned to Wellstar MCG Health and we were closely watched by the phenomenal doctors and nurses. It was a waiting game.”

“Then, a week after our test results had come in, we delivered our son, A.J.,” she added. “He was born at 27 weeks and six days. He was two pounds, eight ounces and 15 inches long. Afterward, Augusta became our home for about four months.”

New beginnings

The Vendrillos spent a total of 87 days at Wellstar MCG Health, while A.J. stayed 62 days in the neonatal intensive care unit before the family could happily return home to Comer.

“Now, A.J. is about to be 17 months old and he is thriving,” Abby Vendrillo said. “Had it not been for that risk assessment test for preeclampsia, I don’t think me or my son would be here today.”

“Now, A.J. is about to be 17 months old and he is thriving. Had it not been for that risk assessment test for preeclampsia, I don’t think me or my son would be here today.”

Abby Vendrillo

Lucas Vendrillo agreed that MCG at Augusta University and Wellstar MCG Health saved his family. 

“I remember telling Abby, ‘This hospital has a healing presence,’” he said. 

The Vendrillos have more exciting news: They are expecting a second baby boy, C.J., later this year. Once again, they plan to deliver at Wellstar MCG Health.

But this time around, their maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Padmashree “Champa” Woodham, MD, of the Medical College of Georgia and Wellstar MCG Health, had a wonderful surprise to share with them. 

Thanks to the support of state legislators, including State Rep. Darlene Taylor, Wellstar MCG Health recently became the first hospital in Georgia to offer in-house risk assessment testing for severe preeclampsia. For families like the Vendrillos, that means no more waiting days for the blood test results. 

“The turnaround time is about 30 minutes,” Woodham said. “We do the test right here. So, in a very quick amount of time, we can add this test to the usual labs we would check on a patient with preeclampsia to help tell the patient and their family what their risks are. That has really been able to help us in trying to decide who needs to stay in the hospital and who can go home.”

Statewide statistics from 2024 indicate that approximately 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 pregnancy-related maternal deaths in the state are associated with preeclampsia or eclampsia, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

“In a very quick amount of time, we can add this test to the usual labs we would check on a patient with preeclampsia to help tell the patient and their family what their risks are. That has really been able to help us in trying to decide who needs to stay in the hospital and who can go home.”

Padmashree “Champa” Woodham, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the Medical College of Georgia

Symptoms that might suggest preeclampsia are high blood pressure, headaches that don’t go away, abdominal pain around the liver, shortness of breath or burning behind the sternum, nausea and vomiting, confusion, heightened state of anxiety and/or visual disturbances such as oversensitivity to light, blurred vision or seeing flashing spots.

“Those are some signs that we can warn them about, but unfortunately, a lot of times those signs come too late,” Woodham said. “That is why this type of testing helps us really try to catch things before they become that sick.”

As a state representative, Taylor said she has spent several years focusing on ways Georgia could help care for expectant mothers and their future babies.

“Maternal concerns in Georgia have been at the forefront for me and the legislature for a number of years,” Taylor said. “As I was reading and researching help for our expectant mothers, I came across an article about this new test. I was excited to share the information with Dr. Woodham, whom I had met during meetings at MCG. I am grateful for her leadership and that of MCG for moving forward to help the women of Georgia.

“We have made other improvements for our expectant mothers, like extending Medicaid for one year after giving birth,” she added. “Next year, I look forward to expanding the use of this important test throughout Georgia, by informing obstetricians about the test and its value, as well as providing the necessary equipment. Again, thank you to MCG for its leadership.”

“As I was reading and researching help for our expectant mothers, I came across an article about this new test. I was excited to share the information with Dr. Woodham, whom I had met during meetings at MCG. I am grateful for her leadership and that of MCG for moving forward to help the women of Georgia.”

State Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville

Augusta University President Russell T. Keen said he is incredibly proud of the maternal-fetal medicine team at MCG.

“Our life-changing, life-saving mission is about putting innovation into action to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve. A test that once required sending a blood sample out of state and waiting days for results can now provide answers in about 30 minutes, right here in Georgia,” Keen said. “That is the kind of progress that can change the trajectory of care for mothers and babies across our state. As Georgia’s designated health sciences university and home to the state’s only public academic medical center, we have a responsibility to lead the way in bringing advances in medicine to the people who need them. I am incredibly proud of Dr. Woodham and the entire team, and grateful to our healthcare partners and state leaders whose collaboration and support helped make this possible.”

Helping all of Georgia

As a hospital that treats a significant number of pregnant mothers from rural regions across the state, Wellstar MCG Health can now have physicians send their patients’ blood samples for rapid testing. 

“We can run the test and let them know whether that is a mom who truly needs to get an ambulance and be sent here or maybe they can stay home,” Woodham said. “If the test comes back with an increased risk, then we can tell that patient and their OB-GYN, ‘Yes, go ahead and please send the mom here so we can provide that higher level of care that she needs.’ Our hope is that we can now decrease the risk of these adverse outcomes in moms and babies by better triaging who needs increased surveillance versus those who don’t.”

This FDA-approved test can indicate an imbalance between soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF), which predicts the patient’s risk of severe preeclampsia, Woodham said. 

“The sFlt-1/PlGF testing looks at those two, what we call biomarkers,” she said. “They are two things that the placenta makes and the proportion of those two biomarkers can help tell us what the risk is for a mom to go on to form a severe feature of preeclampsia. Knowing that they’re at increased risk then allows us to customize a plan for that mom. Every patient is different.” 

“Our life-changing, life-saving mission is about putting innovation into action to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve. A test that once required sending a blood sample out of state and waiting days for results can now provide answers in about 30 minutes, right here in Georgia.”

Augusta University President Russell T. Keen

The in-house test will also help identify which moms truly require early delivery.

“We’re also trying to prevent early preterm birth,” Woodham said. “If we can keep a mom pregnant longer because we find out that her risk is, in fact, lower than we initially thought – now that we have this extra set of data and we’re able to say it with more confidence – that’s a huge benefit.”

Setting the standard

Over the past months, Woodham has been doing several national talks and lectures trying to get the word out about the benefits of in-house testing for preeclampsia. 

“In Europe, they’ve used it for over 10 years and it’s been very beneficial. There is a lot of data that has come out from there. And now we’re at the point where here in this country, we can offer this test to our patients,” she said. “I think it’s really important to try to empower your patient and give them the data that they need to know.”

“I remember telling Abby, ‘This hospital has a healing presence.’ I can’t sing their praises enough. They just really cared.”

Lucas Vendrillo

Woodham said the maternal-fetal medicine team at MCG is excited about the positive impact this in-house testing will have on mothers and babies across the state and beyond. 

“I am so lucky to be a part of such a strong and dedicated team,” she said. “This would not be possible without the help of Dr. Chad Ray, co-director of Wellstar MCG Health’s Cardio-OB program, and Dr. Brandy Gunsolus, in Clinical Laboratory Science.”

“Our team of residents, faculty and medical students is so excited to see this test now in-house because more data is only going to be more helpful. What we ultimately want to do is look back a few years from now and just see what kind of a change it’s made,” Woodham added. “Our ultimate goal is to become a reference lab for this in-house testing, and not just for Georgia, but for the Southeast.”

Augusta University’s maternal fetal medicine fellow, Amalia Brawley, MD, said having the in-house sFlt-1/PlGF testing available allows the medical team to incorporate the lab interpretation into their assessment and help develop a plan for the patient.

“It is very exciting that MCG can provide this cutting-edge testing that can make a very meaningful difference for patients’ care plans,” she said. “It is a testament to our commitment to innovation and to providing the best possible patient care.” 

For Abby Vendrillo, being able to find out within 30 minutes whether she has severe preeclampsia during her second pregnancy will be life-changing. 

“When we came for our first appointment with Dr. Woodam this year, she was like, ‘We have the test in-house now.’ And I was like, ‘No way. That’s even better,’” Abby Vendrillo said, smiling. “There’s no more waiting and waiting to see what’s going to happen. It’s a huge peace of mind for us. Having the in-house testing for preeclampsia is going to be a game changer.”

Lucas Vendrillo said he will be forever grateful to Woodham, the maternal-fetal medicine team and the entire staff at Wellstar MCG Health for keeping his family safe and healthy. 

“I can’t sing their praises enough. They just really cared,” he said. “Abby means the world to me. I mean she’s the mother of my children now. Abby is the greatest gift I have.”