CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Expectant mothers whose doctors lost their hospital privileges and jobs earlier this month received some welcome news Thursday. Atrium Health announced they are joining newly-formed OB/GYN and family medicine practices in Lake Norman and North Charlotte with former Holston Medical Group physicians.
For Brittany Bowden, the new partnership means her original obstetrician should be able to deliver her baby after all.
"It's definitely a huge relief because that would be my ideal situation," she said. "I'll be 36 weeks on Saturday, so getting down to the wire."
If a pregnancy during a pandemic isn't scary enough, the last two weeks have felt like a rollercoaster ride for Bowden, for other reasons too. First, her doctor abruptly lost her job, then, concerned about complications, she scrambled to find a new doctor. She's since learned her baby's okay and her original doctor has a new home.
"It definitely took a lot of stress off of me from the last couple of weeks, so very exciting news," she said.
The stress is something several pregnant women faced at no fault of their own after HMG closed several officers and dismissed more than 30 doctors who had planned to leave later this year. HMG blamed the early dismissals on a decrease in office visits due to COVID-19.
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Atrium Health said the doctors are now joining its newly-formed One Health practices.
"To protect the health and well-being of these patients, most of the former HMG physicians have joined Atrium Health and will begin providing personalized care to patients in the near future," the system said in a news release Thursday.
Atrium Health is asking patients to visit their website to provide their information. Former Holston Medical Group patients or those seeking a primary care physician can call 704-468-8892 for help or more information, Atrium Health said.
"On behalf of former-HMG physicians who are now part of Atrium Health, this is a win-win for our patients," said David Cook, MD, Atrium Health, and Ehab Sahrawi, MD, Atrium Health, in a joint statement. "They'll continue to receive exceptional care from our team – and gain access to advanced specialty care and innovative treatments at Atrium Health."
Unfortunately, the announcement came two days too late for Allie Scaggs. Her baby boy, due Saturday, arrived early without the obstetrician that spent almost her entire pregnancy by her side. Thankfully, the boy and mother are doing well.
"We're both great!" Scaggs said from the hospital. "All went well!"
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