Imagine practicing obstetrics and gynecology in a setting where you're not just another provider in an overwhelmed metropolitan system, but rather a cornerstone of women's healthcare for an entire community nestled at the doorstep of America's most visited national park. This opportunity with Covenant Health at LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville, Tennessee, offers you the chance to join a well-established practice that has served as the trusted source for women's health in Sevier County for nearly three decades. You'll step into a role where your expertise directly impacts the lives of families throughout this vibrant tourist destination and growing residential community, delivering babies for mothers whose own births you might eventually attend, and providing continuity of care that's increasingly rare in modern medicine.
The position addresses a critical community need as the sole comprehensive OBGYN practice serving Sevierville and the surrounding region. With the nearest alternative care requiring patients to travel 45 minutes to Knoxville, your presence ensures that women throughout Sevier County have access to quality obstetric and gynecologic care close to home. The hospital's service area encompasses not just the 100,000+ residents of Sevier County, but also the millions of annual visitors to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge who may require emergency obstetric or gynecologic services during their stay. This unique demographic creates a diverse patient population that keeps your practice engaging and professionally stimulating, from routine prenatal care for local families to managing unexpected complications for visitors from around the world.
As a full-time physician in this hospital-employed position, you'll enjoy the security and resources of working within the Covenant Health system while maintaining the clinical autonomy typically found only in private practice. The practice operates under Covenant Medical Group's Perinatal Associates division, where physicians maintain control over clinical decisions and practice protocols – a refreshing departure from the administrator-heavy structures that frustrate so many physicians in larger health systems. Your typical day involves seeing approximately 20 patients with a balanced mix of obstetric and gynecologic cases, though on call days the schedule prioritizes obstetric patients to ensure continuity of care for expectant mothers.
What truly distinguishes this position is the unprecedented level of support you'll receive from day one. Covenant Health has committed over $1.2 million annually to ensure adequate call coverage through a combination of locum support and an innovative partnership with OB Hospitalist Group. This arrangement guarantees you'll maintain a sustainable 1:4 call schedule – and potentially even 1:5 with adequate staffing – rather than the burnout-inducing schedules that plague many practices. The OB Hospitalist Group provides 22 days of monthly coverage, handling both clinic duties and call responsibilities, ensuring you're never overwhelmed even during physician transitions or unexpected absences.
You'll join Dr. Richard Love, who has anchored women's healthcare in this community for 28 years and brings invaluable experience and mentorship to the practice. Despite his decades of service, Dr. Love maintains an openness to new approaches and actively incorporates evidence-based innovations suggested by younger colleagues. The recent addition of Dr. Chris Hayes, arriving in July 2025, demonstrates the practice's commitment to growth and succession planning. This isn't a practice where you'll be thrown into the deep end – instead, you'll experience a thoughtful onboarding process with overlapping coverage to ensure you feel supported and confident before taking independent call.
The relationship between physicians and administration here represents what healthcare leadership should be. The executive team, from the CEO to department directors, actively seeks physician input and responds rapidly to clinical needs. When physicians identify equipment needs or process improvements, administration acts swiftly to provide support. This isn't lip service – it's a genuine partnership where your voice matters in shaping how care is delivered. The hospital leadership regularly joins physician recruitment dinners and maintains open-door policies, creating an environment where concerns are addressed promptly and physicians feel genuinely valued as partners in the hospital's mission.
This position offers remarkable flexibility to shape your practice according to your interests and expertise. While the core work involves comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology, there's room to develop specialized interests or introduce new procedures as the practice grows. The hospital has already indicated willingness to invest in advanced technology like robotic surgery systems when recruited physicians demonstrate genuine interest and commitment. Your input will help shape the future direction of women's health services in the region, from potentially expanding minimally invasive surgical options to developing specialized programs for high-risk obstetrics.
The practice embraces a philosophy of continuous improvement and physician-driven innovation, meaning your fresh perspectives and new training will be genuinely welcomed rather than resisted – a stark contrast to the "we've always done it this way" mentality that stifles growth in many established practices.