Innovation and the Future of Family Planning

he Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is home to one of the oldest family planning divisions and fellowship programs in academic medicine, both established by Carolyn Westhoff, MD. With alumni in leadership positions across the country, the Fellowship in Complex Family Planning has a national presence at the forefront of family planning care, education, advocacy, and research. As Dr. Westhoff prepares to retire from an illustrious and groundbreaking career in women’s reproductive health, Paula Castaño MD, MPH, a long-time member of the division at Columbia, was recently appointed as the Chief of the Division of Family Planning and Preventive Services.

Dr. Castaño has been an advocate for women’s rights for as long as she can remember, always determined to play a role in addressing the injustices and inequities faced by women. As a teenager, Dr. Castaño would collect article clippings, pins, and bumper stickers on topics related to health and reproductive rights, many years before she embarked on her accomplished career as an Ob/Gyn and family planning expert. For Dr. Castaño, working in family planning served as an access point to supporting women’s autonomy and advocating for equity.

After completing medical school at the University of Minnesota and a residency at University of Texas Southwestern Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dr. Castaño was admitted to the Fellowship in Complex Family Planning at CUIMC. A graduate of this fellowship, Dr. Castaño offers a unique perspective on the program and the larger Division of Family Planning, which informs her leadership today.

As Chief, Dr. Castaño is eager to uphold the accomplished legacy of the division while continuing to catalyze advancements in the family planning field. For nearly two decades, the division has participated in the highly-selective Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network, a research consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for contraceptive research. Dr. Castaño is eager to ensure the division continues its strong participation in the network, while training the next generation of clinician-researchers. As a member of the Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network, the division helps to bring exciting new contraceptives to market by conducting early and late-stage clinical trials. Soon the division will begin recruitment for a trial testing a groundbreaking non-hormonal vaginal contraceptive.

Under the leadership of Dr. Castaño, innovation is at the forefront for the Division of Family Planning. An accomplished researcher and operations administrator, Dr. Castaño has led studies on the use of technology in family planning clinical care, with a focus on improving contraceptive continuation. Drawing from this experienced background, she is interested in finding ways to further integrate technology into family planning services using her platform as Chief of the Division. “Looking forward, we want to ensure that we are harnessing the best parts of technology to advance reproductive health care,” says Dr. Castaño.