Micah T. Mathai, MD

03/12/2026

IU Fisher’s is here to provide the best care possible for our patients. Without our amazing team and the efforts of every single person that makes this place incredible, we would be nowhere. Every single person - physicians, providers, nurses, medical assistants, office staff, call center, admin, environmental - contribute to make this unit the best it can be. I’m very proud of our team!

Exceeding milestones: IU Health Fishers’ new services see success —

IU Health has nearly doubled the size of its Fishers campus—bringing important new services to the community. Two major additions include a brand‑new Maternity unit and a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Medicine unit from Riley Children’s Health.

Within a few short months, both units have exceeded their expected volumes for 2025.

A 250% Increase in Pediatric Emergency Volumes

Before the new Riley Children’s Emergency Medicine unit opened at IU Health Fishers, the hospital typically saw about five children in the Emergency department each day.

But once the dedicated pediatric emergency unit launched, the difference was immediate. Patient volume jumped by 150% right away, and in recent months has grown nearly 250%.

Today, the team cares for 16–18 children every day, offering families in the Fishers community specialized pediatric emergency care close to home, says Dan Slubowski, MD, medical director of Riley Children’s Health Emergency Medicine at IU Health Fishers and North hospitals.

“Emergency medicine is a team sport, and our team collaborates so well, each bringing their specific skills to ensure the best care for the patients and families in front of them,” Slubowski says. “Our general and pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatric emergency medicine registered nurses, Child Life specialists and social workers take on each shift and demonstrate the IU Health value of purpose, truly striving to do good in the lives of the patients we see.”

Alongside higher volumes, Slubowski notes the team has also received high praise from patients.

“The Pediatric Emergency unit has received overall positive feedback, citing the attentiveness of our pediatric nursing staff and Child Life specialists to the specific needs of the pediatric patients in the Fishers community,” he says. “Having a new space, dedicated to pediatric patients, has assured families that they can receive excellent care for their children even closer to home.”

As the needs of the community grow, Slubowski says the unit will also continue to grow, as hospital leadership continues to make process improvements to optimize care for patients.

Welcoming More Than 80 Babies to the World in Two Months

As the Maternity unit at IU Health Fishers opened its doors on Oct. 29, 2025, the team was expecting to deliver just over 50 babies for the rest of the year.

But plenty more bundles of joy were welcomed into the world, with the unit delivering 39 babies in November and 44 in December. The unit’s Special Care Nursery also doubled its projections. The hospital's 100th baby was born this January.

Micah Mathai, MD, medical director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at IU Health Fishers, says it’s all about teamwork and purpose.

“Our physicians, advanced practice providers and nurses are dedicated to the highest level of quality care that works with the patient and for the patient. Our culture at IU Health Fishers is about transparency and making sure we work together as a team,” Mathai says. “Every single team member is an essential part of this dynamic team. We all understand that without each other, we would never be able to do our job.”

With the expansion of Labor and Delivery services in Fishers, Mathai notes there is now increased access for the surrounding areas, helping alleviate the high volumes at downtown hospitals.

As 2026 begins, the team has welcomed three additional Family Medicine physicians who completed surgical obstetric fellowships. Mathai says additional OBGYN physicians will join the team this year, allowing for more access. The unit has also launched a lactation support group and is considering adding midwives to the care model within the next few years.

“We are excited for growth in Fishers and anticipate a robust and comprehensive Maternity and Women's Health unit, Mathai says.

Pictured left: Dr. Micah Mathai
Pictured right: Dr. Dan Slubowski

02/22/2026

Hot off the press - New Clinical Practice Guideline: Diagnosis of Endometriosis.

Here is the rundown of the new guidelines:

ACOG has formally shifted endometriosis from a surgically confirmed disease to a clinically diagnosable chronic pain disorder. You no longer need laparoscopy to diagnose or treat.
The modern model is: Clinical diagnosis → empiric treatment → selective surgery

This is the single most important paradigm change affecting OB-GYN practice.

When laparoscopy (surgery) IS appropriate
• Failed empiric therapy
• Diagnostic uncertainty
• Patient wants definitive diagnosis
• Infertility evaluation context
• Suspicion for alternative pathology

Surgical principles emphasized
If you go to the OR:
• Perform systematic inspection
• Biopsy suspicious lesions
• Treat disease during same surgery

ACOG highlights average delay: 4–11 years to diagnosis
Guideline goal = reduce delay.

The shift reflects recognition that:
• Endometriosis behaves like a chronic inflammatory pain syndrome
• Surgery-first models worsened outcomes because of the delay in care (may take years to get surgery) and delaying treatment of endometriosis.
• Imaging and symptom prediction models improved
• Earlier hormonal suppression reduces disease burdens.

Modern pain science changed everything.

Endometriosis pain becomes neuroplastic, not purely lesion-driven.

Untreated chronic nociceptive input causes:
• peripheral nerve sprouting
• neuroangiogenesis
• spinal cord sensitization
• altered CNS pain processing

Once these pain pathways have been established: pain can persist even after lesion removal.

So delaying medical treatment until surgery allowed pain pathways to become entrenched.

This is why:
• some patients have severe pain with minimal disease
• excision alone SOMETIMES fails LATE-stage patients

Early hormonal suppression reduces this progression and helps improve pain when lesions are caught early and managed and ideally removed.

Endometriosis pain is very real. Treat the pain as well as the disease. Even with negative laparoscopy - does not rule out the disease.

Link to the new clinical practice guideline: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-practice-guideline/articles/2026/03/diagnosis-of-endometriosis

01/17/2026

Don't let anyone tell you, it's "normal" and it's "just your period". Endometriosis can be debilitating. Unfortunately, at this time, all we have are hormone suppression and surgery. One day - we'll find a marker to target these specific lesion with a drug that will take away all the pain you suffer from. These are some path reports from excision surgeries done the past 2 weeks.

01/16/2026

AJOG announces the Cesarean Delivery Supplement: Cesarean delivery has evolved from an operation of last resort to the most frequently performed major surgical procedure worldwide, with nearly 29 million births each year. Advances in anesthesia, surgical technique, and perioperative care have greatly improved safety, yet the expansion of cesarean delivery raises complex clinical, psychological, and societal questions. This article introduces the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) supplement “Cesarean Delivery”, which assembles expert reviews, clinical opinions, original research, clinical trials, and perspectives addressing key aspects of this transformation. Topics include preoperative ultrasound to guide incision planning, evolving methods of uterine closure, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines, management of complex cases such as placenta accreta, and the prevention of infection, hemorrhage, and thromboembolism. This issue introduces a new quality index that evaluates outcomes for the maternal–newborn dyad, integrating cesarean rate with both maternal and neonatal outcomes to provide a more meaningful measure of obstetric performance. Psychological sequelae such as post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression, and neonatal consequences of elective and preterm cesarean deliveries are also discussed. Collectively, these contributions redefine cesarean delivery as part of an integrated continuum of care—one that values surgical technique, maternal and infant outcomes, and the ethical balance between safety and autonomy. www.ajog.org

11/30/2025

Here is a list of >1,000 Gynecologists who will perform a tubal sterilization without fighting you, curated by OBGYN Paging Dr. Fran.

11/29/2025

With whooping cough cases on the rise, your strong vaccine recommendation matters. Episode 2 of the explores co-administration strategies, approaches to overcoming vaccine hesitancy, preparing pregnant patients for respiratory illness season, and more: bit.ly/47CvdSZ

10/26/2025

AJOG Expert Review: Pelvic floor injury during vaginal birth is life-altering and preventable: what can we do about it? Circumferential and downward levator ani and nerve stretch during birth https://ow.ly/t6gU50R3Wx3

10/18/2025

ACOG’s new Clinical Practice Update on bacterial vaginosis (BV) treatment explores new data and increasing evidence supporting the efficacy of sexual partner therapy in reducing recurrences of BV. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qgja4X

09/22/2025

Now what has been proven to be dangerous in pregnancy is untreated sustained fevers.

ACOG reaffirms the safety and benefits of acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
More than two decades of research have found no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children. Acetaminophen continues to be an important and safe option for managing pain and fever in pregnancy—conditions that can pose serious risks to pregnant patients and their fetuses if left untreated. Learn more about acetaminophen use during pregnancy: https://bit.ly/4mqIzWr

09/20/2025

"Most people imagine hospitals at night as quiet places, lights dimmed, corridors hushed. Labor and Delivery is rarely like that. Even when the unit seems calm, it’s an uneasy calm—because we know it can change in an instant."

A night in Labor & Delivery through the eyes of an obstetrician

09/09/2025

"There is no consistent evidence that antenatal corticosteroids are associated with an increased risk of impaired childhood neurodevelopment among studies with a strong design to control for confounding."

Read the full study for free at: https://buff.ly/2c5VMu4

08/26/2025

A scientist is helping uncover the role of the immune system in endometriosis—while managing the disease herself.

Learn more: https://scim.ag/4lIfl5e