DECATUR -
Decatur General Hospital has faced some trying times in the past year.
In October the hospital's Ob-Gyn practice stopped delivering babies in Decatur and shifted to Huntsville Hospital. Decatur General Hospital moved quickly and hired two Ob-Gyns to take care of walk in deliveries and the community pre-natal clinic. Now they have an Ob-Gyn practice for the women in the area.
The nursery isn't full yet, but Decatur General Hospital is working on getting it back to full capacity.
The shelves would normally be packed with patient files at this practice. Yet, only a few patient files are stacked here at Monarch Women's Health. They just opened last month, as Decatur General Hospital's new Ob-Gyn practice.
"It's a good day if we see 7 patients, o.k., we are certainly capable of seeing many more than that and we are very happy with the patients choosing to use us for their maternity care," said Dr. John Stafford.
Decatur General Hospital recruited two new doctors when the Ob-Gyns left in October.
"There wasn't a big need for the private patient because we still had the other group still seeing patients in town and then they went over to Huntsville. That's just not that far to drive, but people are going to get tired of doing that," said Dr. John Stafford. "If they know that there's a viable option here, they're going to come back here because Decatur General has a very good reputation in the community for maternity care."
Dr. Stafford lives up to the saying if you build it they will come.
"That is going to happen. We're ready for it," said Dr. Stafford.
Since Dr. Stafford and Dr. Vernon Pegram arrived in October they've delivered 200 babies. Now they are starting to build a practice.
"Decatur and Morgan County need Ob-Gyn services locally that is critical to this community. We were fortunate enough to be able to meet that need and met that demand by adding these two physicians and actually four by the end of the summer," said Leigh Hays with Decatur General Hospital.
Dr. Stafford says it's just a matter of time before the empty rooms are filled with patients.
"We are getting busier at Monarch. We need to be busier. I think that's going to come down to advertising and us doing a god job," said Dr. Stafford.
An advertising campaign started Monday for Monarch Women's Health they're hoping it will make the community aware of the Ob-Gyn practice.
Decatur General Hospital is adding its third Ob-Gyn to the Monarch Women's Health practice in the next two weeks. His name is Dr. Randall Wendt. He's an Ob-Gyn from Clinton, Oklahoma.
Details on the fourth doctor will be released later this summer.
In October the hospital's Ob-Gyn practice stopped delivering babies in Decatur and shifted to Huntsville Hospital. Decatur General Hospital moved quickly and hired two Ob-Gyns to take care of walk in deliveries and the community pre-natal clinic. Now they have an Ob-Gyn practice for the women in the area.
The nursery isn't full yet, but Decatur General Hospital is working on getting it back to full capacity.
The shelves would normally be packed with patient files at this practice. Yet, only a few patient files are stacked here at Monarch Women's Health. They just opened last month, as Decatur General Hospital's new Ob-Gyn practice.
"It's a good day if we see 7 patients, o.k., we are certainly capable of seeing many more than that and we are very happy with the patients choosing to use us for their maternity care," said Dr. John Stafford.
Decatur General Hospital recruited two new doctors when the Ob-Gyns left in October.
"There wasn't a big need for the private patient because we still had the other group still seeing patients in town and then they went over to Huntsville. That's just not that far to drive, but people are going to get tired of doing that," said Dr. John Stafford. "If they know that there's a viable option here, they're going to come back here because Decatur General has a very good reputation in the community for maternity care."
Dr. Stafford lives up to the saying if you build it they will come.
"That is going to happen. We're ready for it," said Dr. Stafford.
Since Dr. Stafford and Dr. Vernon Pegram arrived in October they've delivered 200 babies. Now they are starting to build a practice.
"Decatur and Morgan County need Ob-Gyn services locally that is critical to this community. We were fortunate enough to be able to meet that need and met that demand by adding these two physicians and actually four by the end of the summer," said Leigh Hays with Decatur General Hospital.
Dr. Stafford says it's just a matter of time before the empty rooms are filled with patients.
"We are getting busier at Monarch. We need to be busier. I think that's going to come down to advertising and us doing a god job," said Dr. Stafford.
An advertising campaign started Monday for Monarch Women's Health they're hoping it will make the community aware of the Ob-Gyn practice.
Decatur General Hospital is adding its third Ob-Gyn to the Monarch Women's Health practice in the next two weeks. His name is Dr. Randall Wendt. He's an Ob-Gyn from Clinton, Oklahoma.
Details on the fourth doctor will be released later this summer.
