In-Person 24/7
OB hospitalists provide around-the-clock care
Every day is a little different for Melissa Crenshaw, MD, a board-certified OB hospitalist. And that’s just the way she likes it.
“We have treated every OB emergency that you can think of,” she says. “The variety is one of the reasons I love working in a hospital setting.”
Dr. Crenshaw is the site director for the Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG). St. Joseph’s/Candler began a partnership with OBHG this year to provide a unique service for expectant mothers in the region. The Telfair BirthPlace at Candler Hospital now has OB hospitalists on staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“No matter what time you or your unborn baby need care, we’re here,” Dr. Crenshaw says.
What Is An OB Hospitalist?
OB hospitalists are board-certified OB/GYNs who only see patients in the hospital. Their presence in the Telfair BirthPlace ensures that expectant mothers will receive consistent, top-level medical care by a trained and highly-skilled OB/GYN physician at every point of her delivery.
You may need an OB hospitalist when:
- You come in with an emergency (such as elevated blood pressure)
- Your OB is in route or unavailable
- You are in the beginning stages of labor
OB hospitalists don’t replace the care you receive from your regular OB/GYN. Instead, they serve as an extension of your doctor. In addition to handling deliveries, OB hospitalists are there to assist with any issues or emergencies that may arise, whether or not patients have their own doctors in route.
“It’s all about providing the best, safest care—immediately,” Dr. Crenshaw says.
Extra Set Of Hands
The hospitalist model for obstetrics arose out of a need to minimize—or ideally, to eliminate—delays in care.
“If patients are waiting on you in your office, that’s inconvenient,” Dr. Crenshaw says. “But if something medically urgent is happening, then having to wait becomes a safety concern.”
By being stationed in the Telfair BirthPlace, Dr. Crenshaw and other physicians from OBHG can provide not only that additional safety but also convenience and peace of mind.
“We are here to back up all the other physicians,” she says. “Especially from a safety perspective, if someone needed help with something or an extra set of hands, we’re always here for that.”
OB hospitalists can also help expectant moms who don’t have a regular OB physician or if their OB doesn’t have privileges at the hospital of their choice.
“If you don’t have an inpatient doctor, you’ll have someone from our team here ready to provide you with all the care you need,” Dr. Crenshaw says.
Added Presence
St. Joseph’s/Candler is the only hospital in the region to partner with OBHG. Nationwide, hospitals are becoming more aware of the benefits of having OB hospitalists on staff, and the trend is growing. Recent studies have shown that with the addition of an OB hospitalist team, hospitals see improvement in their quality measures, including an overall reduction in their C-section delivery rate.
In her own experience, Dr. Crenshaw has noticed that patients’ regular OB doctors also benefit from these services.
“Our team allows private practice OB/GYNs to be more well-rested and not pulled away from their office as often,” she says. “They can focus on giving the highest-quality care to the patient in front of them, knowing that if one of their patients has to come to the hospital unexpectedly, they will have a highly-trained doctor available the entire time.”
That consistent and thorough care is a huge relief to expectant moms and dads who find themselves in an emergency situation or when things don’t go according to plan.
“Whenever a patient comes here for any reason, they are going to receive immediate, focused attention,” Dr. Crenshaw says. “Patients can feel that added presence when they see that the Telfair BirthPlace has an extra layer of physician expertise and care.”