Obstetric Services at Doctors Hospital to end October 6, 2013
Columbus, Ga. (September 10, 2013) – All labor and delivery services of Doctors Hospital and The Medical Center soon will be combined to create one obstetrics service at The Medical Center, officials of Columbus Regional Healthcare System announced today.
This is effective Monday, Oct. 7, 2013. Deliveries at Doctors Hospital will cease at midnight Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013.
Kendall Handy, MD, Chief of OB/GYN; Dawn Hurst, RNC, MS, Senior Director of Women’s Services; and Kelly Hunter, RN, BSN, Director of Labor and Delivery, will lead the new service with the support of all the nurses and caregivers from Doctors Hospital and The Medical Center.
“We have evaluated combining the obstetrics programs at Doctors Hospital and The Medical Center for many months,” said Ryan Chandler, president and CEO of The Medical Center. “This evaluation included substantial participation from physicians, nurses and ancillary staff, and we appreciate their engagement and support,” he added.
“We made this decision following an in-depth review and analysis of past and anticipated future volume of deliveries at Doctors Hospital,” said Tamara (Tami) Jackson, president and CEO of Doctors Hospital. “We anticipate the delivery volume at Doctors Hospital will decline over time due to the dynamics of our local marketplace.”
During the Fiscal Year that ended June 30, The Medical Center had 3,293 deliveries and Doctors Hospital had 1,019.
“Combining these programs and the development of a new obstetrics service at The Medical Center will enable us to continue serving our community efficiently and with quality service, while remaining good stewards of the community’s medical resources,” Chandler added.
This allows Columbus Regional to bring together the best of both worlds in one service: the advanced clinical obstetrics services of The Medical Center and the highly regarded clinical expertise of Doctors Hospital.
The obstetrics services at The Medical Center and Doctors Hospital each have a long history and respected tradition of providing supportive, family-centered care. In addition, The Medical Center is home to the region’s only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and overall offers the region’s highest level of clinical expertise, experience and technology in obstetrics. Combining these two outstanding programs will only enhance the quality, compassionate care for which Columbus Regional’s maternal-child services have been known for generations.
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About Columbus Regional Healthcare System
Columbus Regional Healthcare System is a not-for-profit health organization providing health, medical and community outreach services to west Georgia and east Alabama. Columbus Regional includes three hospitals – The Medical Center, Hughston Hospital and Doctors Hospital, all located in Columbus, Ga. The system also includes the John B. Amos Cancer Center, Columbus Regional Physician Group with over 10 locations, three MyCare Urgent Care Centers and three retail pharmacies.
Services include the region’s only advanced maternity services and neonatal intensive care unit; a Children’s Hospital, which includes a pediatric intensive care unit; a growing program of women’s services; a neuroscience center for spine and stroke care; emergency services, including a pediatric Emergency Department; and the region’s only trauma center.
