As pregnancy resource centers ramp up their medical services to meet the demands of a post-Dobbs world, four such clinics in North Carolina are showcasing one strategy for effectively increasing clients’ access to healthcare: sharing a medical director. Choices Women’s Center in Wilson, led by Executive Director Valerie Hawley; Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center & Clinic in Elizabeth City, led by Executive Director Dee Spruce; WaterLife Pregnancy Care Center in Nags Head, led by Executive Director Renee Clark; and Pregnancy Support Services in Chapel Hill, led by Executive Director Tracey Shuttle combined resources to support a medical director who supervises the medical services of all four clinics. The medical director in question happens to be Dr. Susan Bane, the Vice Chair of AAPLOG’s Board of Directors.
In a September lecture at the Care Net conference, Dr. Bane laid out how these clinics work together to provide medical care to women in northeastern North Carolina. According to Dr. Bane, while each of these clinics maintains autonomy over its mission and vision, they have significant commonalities, including empowering women with information and the tenet that women and their children deserve exceptional healthcare.
Dr. Bane also explains that this model, which they call the “regional medical model,” allows the four clinics to strategize together at the executive and clinic level, as well as on policies, procedures, and marketing. This model also allows the clinics to share resources – people, expenses, educational resources, trainings and meetings, and abortion pill reversal (APR) provision.
According to Dee Spruce of Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center & Clinic,
Our regional medical model provides an extra level of credibility with our patients, the medical community, our partnering agencies and our donors… We now have a doctor that is present in our clinic at least one day per month providing direct patient care. While offsite, Dr Bane is available by phone or text for any needs of our medical team; for APR patients, to review and sign off on scans, for staff development and training, and to assist with donor engagement or submissions for newsletters or social media.
This model might strengthen your pregnancy resource center in several ways. If you have any questions about this model, reach out to us at info@aaplog.org and we’ll forward your thoughts to Dr. Bane.
