OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s first perinatal behavioral health clinic is helping to fill a significant gap in local maternity care, guiding patients through the unique mental health needs of pregnancy, childbirth and the first year with a new baby.

Dr. Kalee Woody and other Mercy caregivers officially opened Mercy Clinic Perinatal Behavioral Health – Oklahoma City McAuley Blvd. on Monday with a blessing and ribbon cutting. Dr. Woody is Oklahoma’s first psychiatrist dedicated full-time to behavioral health during the perinatal period, which starts with attempting pregnancy or becoming pregnant and extends through the first year after birth.

Mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S., according to Centers for Disease Control and Preven

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