Clinical Component

Navigating the Clinical Component

This is a delivery-focused practice. The new South Campus clinic is designed to serve a predominantly Medicaid obstetric population, and the physician's time will be weighted heavily toward prenatal care and deliveries rather than surgical GYN volume. The infrastructure surrounding this role is substantial, including a Level III NICU, a 24/7 OB hospitalist program, and a newly renovated labor and delivery unit.

Patient Population

Patients will primarily be Medicaid-insured and from the underserved Shreveport-Bossier community. Many will have had limited access to prenatal care before presenting, which means a clinician comfortable managing higher-risk presentations will thrive here. Patients with well-managed pregnancies are the exception rather than the rule in this population, though cases requiring true emergency intervention are not the norm.

The clinic will draw from a regional catchment area extending into northwest Louisiana, east Texas, and southern Arkansas. As word spreads that a Medicaid-accepting OB clinic is available at WK South, patient volume is expected to build quickly.

Clinical Scope

Obstetrics

  • Prenatal care from initial visit through delivery
  • Labor management and vaginal deliveries
  • Cesarean sections (3 dedicated C-section ORs on campus)
  • Inductions, scheduled and unplanned
  • Management of higher-risk OB patients, including those with limited prior prenatal care
  • Postpartum care and circumcisions at physician discretion

Gynecology

  • Routine and preventive GYN care
  • GYN emergency coverage (ectopics, miscarriages) for patients under 20 weeks presenting to the main ED; specifics of main call rotation are being finalized with administrative leadership

Labor and Delivery Unit

WK South Campus labor and delivery was fully renovated in summer 2024. The unit includes 10 LDR rooms plus additional original rooms and 3 dedicated C-section operating suites. The unit carries ACTS designation, a Louisiana state initiative for breastfeeding support.

The NICU is a 50-bed Level III unit located on campus. Current average census runs approximately 30 patients. The unit accepts transports of 34-week-and-above pregnancies from regional hospitals in Monroe and surrounding areas, as well as growth-restricted and complex cases at viability. The team has cared for 22-weekers and handles natural multiples including triplets. All NICU rooms are private, with blackout curtain capability and humidity control for micropreemie care.

The OB-ED sees approximately 1,400 patients annually. Patients at 20 weeks gestation or beyond are routed directly to the OB-ED, where OBHG triages and manages them around the clock.

OB Hospitalist Support

Coverage Details
Coverage 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Function Triage all OB-ED patients, manage unassigned patients
Delivery assist Calls primary OB when assigned patient is in active labor; physician chooses to come in or hand off
Surgical role OBHG does not perform operative procedures independently; assists at primary OB's request
Postpartum tubals, hysterectomies Primary OB only

Approximately 60 percent of current WK OBs utilize OBHG for nighttime deliveries. The hospitalist program has been on campus for approximately 18 months and is well integrated into the unit's workflow.

Clinical Support

  • MFM collaboration on complex pregnancies and transport cases
  • Perinatology resources on campus to support high-risk deliveries
  • Pediatric Surgery available for NICU patients
  • Mid-level providers (NPs) will support the clinic for follow-up and routine visits, keeping the physician focused on deliveries and higher-acuity care
  • Mayo Clinic partnership available to all WK physicians for electronic consults with 24-hour turnaround

Schedule and Volume

The clinic is a new build. Volume will ramp from the day the doors open, with referrals expected to come quickly given the gap in Medicaid OB access in the market. Inductions and scheduled procedures are managed during regular clinic hours. The practice is structured so mid-levels handle routine follow-up, allowing the physician to concentrate on procedural and delivery volume.

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