The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Nikki B. Zite, MD, MPH

Professor
Vice Chair, Education and Advocacy
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Complex Family Planning

Research Focus

Through a grant from the National Institute of Health, in cooperation with a research team at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California-San Francisco, Drs. Zite and Maples are working on creating a web-based decision aid that will help women to understand permanent contraception and determine if it is the right option for them. Research previously completed at UTMC demonstrates that Medicaid Title XIX forms created to protect women from coercive practices in the 1970's actually do not help women understand or obtain desired sterilization procedures. A formal trial testing the tool will be initiated at UTMC in the near future.

Additionally, since 2016 the National Institute of Reproductive Health has funded a team from UTMC, Vanderbilt University and a Reproductive Justice organization in Memphis, SisterReach. The goal of this collaborative is to increase access to Long Acting Reversible Contraception in the Immediate Post-Partum Period. In 2017 the team was successful in advocating TennCare and their associated MCO's to allow their recipients to obtain these safe and effective contraceptive methods while they were in the hospital for a delivery. Dr. Zite works to expand access to more women in Tennessee by working with the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (TIPQC) on a statewide quality improvement project. Short term follow-up has demonstrated improved contraceptive access with comprehensive patient-centered counseling. Dr. Zite and colleagues are monitoring outcomes in order to evaluate short interval pregnancy rates, teen pregnancy rates, undesired pregnancy rates, and potentially pregnancies in women that suffer from substance use disorder.

In addition, Dr. Zite and a team including Drs. Maples and Fortner are working with a researcher from the UTK Department of Public Health on a study designed to determine if walking after meals can improve blood sugar in gestational diabetics and they are creating a large database for future work related to our inductions of labor.

Education

Residency
Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, 1998-2002

Graduate School
Masters in Public Health, University of Illionois School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, 2002-2003

Fellowship
Family Planning and Contraception, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, 2002-2004

Certification

American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Subspecialist in Complex Family Planning

Honors and Awards

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) 2020 - 2021
Family Planning Subspecialty Exam Content Expert

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) 2016 - present
Certifying Exam Examiner

Outstanding Role Model in Medicine
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine 2018

Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2015
Excellence in Teaching Award

Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013
National Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education

Knoxville Top Doc, City View Magazine 2006-2021

University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine 2013
Academy of Scholars
Inducted as inaugural member

Professional Affiliations

Tennessee Perinatal Quality Initiative 2016- Present
Severe HTN Project UTMCK team member 2020-present
Project Subcommittee ad hoc member 2019- present
Maternal Medical Director 2017-2020
IPP LARC State Lead 2017-2019
OUD UTMCK Lead 2019- present
Society of Family Planning 2005-present
Clinic Affairs Subcommittee Member 2018-present
Audit Committee Chair 2015-2018
Executive Board Secretary 2014-2018
By-laws Committee Chair 2010-2018
Board Of Directors, Member, At large 2008-2014
LCOG representative 2008-2017
Board of Directors, Junior Fellow Representative 2007-2008
National Meeting Scientific Review Committee 2006-present
Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2005-2020

Current Publications

Borrero S, Mosley EA, Wu M, Dehlendorf C, Wright C, Abebe KZ, Zite N..
A decision aid to support tubal sterilization decision-making among pregnant women: The mydecision/midecisión randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Mar 4;7(3):e242215. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.2215.

Turk JK, Steinauer JE, Zite N, Ogburn T, Horvath S.
The association between abortion training and obgyn resident competence and intention to provide abortion care before Dobbs. Contraception. 2023 Dec 28:110358. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2023.110358. Online ahead of print.

Mosley EA, Zite N, Dehlendorf C, Deal A, O'Leary R, Achilles S, Barnato AE, Hall D, Borrero S.
Development of My Decision/Mi Decisión, a web-based decision aid to support permanent contraception decision making. PEC Innov. 2023 Aug 29;3:100203. doi: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2023.100203. eCollection 2023 Dec 15.

Hamm RF, Moniz MH, Wahid I, Breman RB, Callaghan-Koru JA; Implementation Science for Maternal Health National Working Group.
Implementation research priorities for addressing the maternal health crisis in the USA: Results from a modified delphi study among researchers. Implement Sci Commun. 2023 Jul 21;4(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s43058-023-00461-z.

Ehrlich SF, Maples J, Burnette S, Rand B, Zite N, Paudel A, Fortner K..
Individual-level determinants of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant people in East Tennessee. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Jul;162(1):6-12. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14698. Epub 2023 Mar 11.

Bauer CC, Jackson A, Kumar N, Bauer K, Zite N.
Turning rage into action: Abortion care and residency training in the United States. J Grad Med Educ. 2023 Jun;15(3):291-295. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-23-00319.1. Epub 2023 Jun 8.

Ehrlich S, Maples J, Burnette S, Rand B, Zite N, Paudel A, Fortner K.
Individual level determinants of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant people in East Tennessee. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2023 Feb 21. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14698. Online ahead of print.

Mirsky EL, Mastronardi AM, Paudel A, Young ML, Zite NB, Maples JM.
The COVID-19 pandemic and prevalence of gestational diabetes: Does gestational weight gain matter? Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Feb 8:100899. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.100899. Online ahead of print.

Mosley EA, Monaco A, Zite N, Rosenfeld E, Schablik J, Rangnekar N, Hamm M, Borrero S.
U.S. physicians' perspectives on the complexities and challenges of permanent contraception provision. Contraception. 2023 Jan 11:109948. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2023.109948. Online ahead of print.

Ehrlich SF, Rand B, Zite NB, Fortner KB, Paudel A, Peterson C, Maples JM.
Exploring the relationship between regular physical activity and the 24-hour glucose cycle in gestational glucose intolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2022 Sep 8;S0002-9378(22)00725-6.doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2022.09.004. Online ahead of print.

Tinius RA, Maples JM, Schafer MA, Paudel A, Fortner KB, Zite NB, Nagpal TS.
To be active or to stop? A cross-sectional retrospective study exploring provider advice and patient fears surrounding physical activity in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 17;19(10):6076. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106076.

Maples JM, Zite NB, Oyedeji O, Chamberlin SM, Mastronardi AM, Gregory S, Gatwood JD, Hohmeier KC, Booker ME, Perry JD, Moss HK, Kilgore LC.
Availability of the HPV vaccine in regional pharmacies and provider perceptions regarding HPV vaccination in the pharmacy setting. Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Feb 24;10(3):351. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10030351.

Horvath S, Turk J, Steinauer J, Ogburn T, Zite N.
Increase in obstetrics and gynecology resident self-assessed competence in early pregnancy loss management with routine abortion care training. Obstet Gynecol. Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Jan 1;139(1):116-119. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004628.

Oyedeji O, Maples JM, Gregory S, Chamberlin SM, Gatwood JD, Wilson AQ, Zite NB, Kilgore LC.
Pharmacists' perceived barriers to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination: A systematic literature review. Vaccines. 2021 Nov 19;9(11):1360.

Horvath S, Zite N, Turk J, Ogburn T, Steinauer J.
Resident abortion care training and satisfaction: Results from the 2020 Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology in-training examination survey. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2021 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print]

Maples JM, Ehrlich SF, Zite NB, Pearson KJ, Cade WT, Riedinger CJ, Blankenship MM, Tinius RA.
Elevated lipid oxidation is associated with exceeding gestational weight gain recommendations and increased neonatal anthropometrics: A cross-sectional analysis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2021 Aug 21;21(1):575.

Ehrlich SF, Maples JM, Barroso CS, Brown KC, Bassett DR Jr, Zite NB, Fortner KB.
Using a consumer-based wearable activity tracker for physical activity goal setting and measuring steps in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: Exploring acceptance and validity. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2021 Jun 8;21(1):420.

Dane C, Breeze JL, Espey E, Zite N, Ogburn T, Evans ML.
Insurance expansion and intrauterine device training in obstetrics and gynecology. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2021 May 19:S0002-9378(21)00557-3.

Onaade O, Maples JM, Rand B, Fortner KB, Zite NB, Ehrlich SF.
Physical activity for blood glucose control in gestational diabetes mellitus: Rationale and recommendations for translational behavioral interventions. Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology. 2021 Apr 25;7(1):7.

Current Presentations

Guilbeau S, Wofford A, Yates JC, Alicia M, Nikki Z, White W. Male sterilization rates increase after the Dobbs decision in Tennessee. Presented at SOUTHEASTERN SECTION OF THE AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, INC.; 2024 March - 23; Austin ,Texas.

Woods R, Kaak K, Lacy Young M, Shelton Z, Fortner KB, Morrison B, Edwards T, Cox J, Mastronardi A, Maples J, Zite NB. Access to permanent contraception in postpartum patients covered by children’s health insurance program in Tennessee at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Presented at Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care; 2024 March - 26; Franklin ,Tennessee.

Riley WL, Hunzicker A, Zite NB, Maples JM, Mastronardi AM, Paudel A, Purvis R, Fortner KB, Carter K. Prenatal diagnosis post-Dobbs in an abortion-banned state: A retrospective cohort study. Presented at 44th Annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting; 2024 Feb - 10; National Harbor.

Paudel A, Maples JM, Carter K, Szymanski L, Zite N, Tinius RA, Fortner KB. Fetal effects of maternal exercise on pregnancies with fetal growth restriction. Presented at 44th Annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting; 2024 Feb - 10; National Harbor .

Brewton A , Paudel AB, Mastronardi AM, Shore SV, Maples JM, Young ML, Zite NB, Fortner KB. The impact of gestational weight gain on total labor length among patients with obesity. Presented at Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Annual Pregnancy Meeting ; 2024 Feb - 12; National Harbor .

Evans M, Qasba N, Zite N. Permanent contraception in a post-Dobbs world: Ensuring equitable access. Presented at Medical Students for Choice Conference on Family Planning: Educating Beyond the Classroom; 2023 December - 2; Virtual.

Zahedi-Spung L, Zite N, Boos E. First, do no harm: Moral injury in a post-Roe nation. Presented at Medical Students for Choice Conference on Family Planning: Educating Beyond the Classroom; 2023 December - 2; Virtual.

Brown L, Kypa J, Mastronardi A, Young ML, Shelton Z, Reeder C, Johnson KP, Zite NB, Maples JM. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes for deliveries at UTMC from 2018-2023. Presented at 29th Rural Health Association of Tennessee Annual Conference; 2023 Nov - 15; Knoxville,TN.

Brown L, Mastronardi A, Young ML, Shelton Z, Reeder C, Johnson KP, Zite NB, Maples JM. Rural vs. non-rural differences in gestational weight gain in women delivering at UTMC. Presented at 29th Rural Health Association of Tennessee Annual Conference; 2023 Nov - 15; Knoxville,TN.

Kaak K, Pearson D, Young ML, Mastronardi A, Maples JM, Zite NB. Assessing association of adolescent pregnancy and residential zip code using area deprivation indices. Presented at 29th Rural Health Association of Tennessee Annual Conference; 2023 Nov - 15; Knoxville,TN.

Moss HK, Chudgar P, Riley WL, Coonradt CK, Mastronardi AM, Brechtel LE, Maples JM, Reeder C, van Nes J, Patel M, Stewart S, Lopez-Shultz SD, Brown L, Carroll L, Zite NB. . Prevalence of large-for-gestational age and polyhydramnios on routine late third-trimester ultrasound and delivery outcomes. Presented at 29th Rural Health Association of Tennessee Annual Conference; 2023 Nov - 15; Knoxville,TN.

Mosley EA, Zite N, Dehlendorf C, Abebe K, Schorr K, Wu M, Wulf S, Garcia E, Gregory S, Coonradt C, Borrero S. Developing and testing a decision aid for permanent tubal contraception. Presented at American Public Health Association 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo; 2023 Nov - 12; Atlanta,GA.

Alicia Mastronardi, Robert Heidel,Jonathan Boone,Larry Kilgore,Nikki Zite,Samantha Gregory,Oluwafemifola Oyedeji,Jill Maples. HPV vaccination: Broadening the scope of education and administration Presented at Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology; 2023 July-27; Denver, CO.

Oyedeji F, Burnette S, Maples JM, Rand BJ, Olatt E, Fortner KB, Paudel AM, Zite NB, Ehrlich SF. Maternal perceptions of TDAP vaccination and dissonance between vaccine status and perception Presented at 2023 Infectious Disease Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology annual meeting; 2023 July-27; Denver, CO.

Paudel AM, Maples JM, Zite NB, Tinius RA, Fortner KB. Physician recommendations for physical activity in complicated growth restricted pregnancies Presented at 43rd Annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting; 2023 February - 11; San Francisco.

McCarley C, Lacy Young M, Swaggerty R, Otten K, White C, Edwards T, Zite NB, Nelson C. Implementation of a nurse-driven protocol to improve recognition and response to severe range blood pressures Presented at 43rd Annual Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Meeting; 2023 February - 11; San Francisco.

Zite NB. Collaboration around abortion amoung professional organizations - ACNM, ACOG, APHA, AWHONN, SFP, SMFM Panel and Discussion. Presented at Society of Family Planning Annual Meeting; 2021 Oct 1; Virtual.

Maples JM, Riedinger CJ, Ehrlich SF, Blankenship MM, Zite NB, Tinius RA. Elevated maternal lipid metabolism is associated with exceeding gestational weight gain guidelines. Presented at American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting; 2021 Jun 1-5; Virtual.

Wentworth S, Lacy M, Maples JM, Gregory S, Zite NB. COVID-19's impact on OBGYN attitudes towards telemedicine. Presented at American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; 2021 Apr 30 - May 2; Virtual.

Carbone L, Maples JM, Gregory S, Wentworth S, Lacy M, Zite NB. Perceived barriers to telehealth adoption among OBGYN providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented at American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; 2021 Apr 30 - May 2; Virtual.

Zite NB, Arora K, Ponsaran R, Morello L, Katabi L, Hansen R, White K. Qualitative study of obstetricians-gynecologists practices surrounding Medicaid postpartum sterilization. Presented at Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting; 2021 Apr 9; Virtual.

McCarley CB, Brewton AE, Lacy MM, Fortner KB, Heidel RE, Zite NB. Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on rates of late or limited prenatal care. Presented at American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; 2021 Apr 30 - May 2; Virtual.

Zite NB, Horvath S, Ogburn T, Steinauer J. Resident abortion care training and satisfaction: Results from the 2020 CREOG exam survey. Presented at Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Association of Professors of Gynecology Annual Meeting; 2021 Mar 3-5; Virtual.

McCarley C, Lacey M, Nelson C, Zite N. Analyzing readmission rates releated to hypertensive disorders. Presented at Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care Annual Meeting; 2021 Mar 2-4; Virtual.

Zite NB, Wentworth S, Lacy M, Owens W, Geary A. Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on access to desired sterilization during delivery hospitalization. Presented at Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care Annual Meeting; 2021 Mar 2-4; Virtual.

Zite NB, McCarley C, Lacy M, Nelson C. Improving the recognition and response to severe range blood pressures. Presented at Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care Annual Meeting; 2021 Mar 2-4; Virtual.

Zite NB, Owens W, Geary A, Lacy M, Wentworth S. Investigating implicit bias as a barrier to sterilization. Presented at Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care Annual Meeting; 2021 Mar 2-4; Virtual.

Maples JM, Riedinger CJ, Ehrlich SF, Blankenship M, Zite NB, Tinius RA. Elevated maternal lipid metabolism is associated with exceeding gestational weight gain guidelines. Presented at Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Regional Conference; 2021 Feb 18-19; Virtual.

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The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Nikki B. Zite, MD, MPH

Research Focus

Education

Certification

Honors and Awards

Professional Affiliations

Current Publications

Current Presentations

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Support The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine