June 3, 2022
A Joint Message to OB/GYN Patients in Our Community
Dear Obstetrics & Gynecology Patients,
We are aware that many of you have been impacted by the recent announcement from one of the local OB doctors regarding the imminent closure of her practice, which has resulted in many women trying to urgently transition care to another local obstetrics provider. We understand how stressful this situation is, especially for women who are currently pregnant and due to deliver over the next few months. The Santa Barbara obstetrics healthcare community is working together to do everything possible to be sure that all women in our community have access to the care that they need.
All of the obstetricians in the community, whether in private practice or at Sansum Clinic, are working to analyze their schedules closely to create as many appointment slots as possible with the goal of triaging appointment times based upon clinical needs and delivery date. This may mean that some women who are scheduled for routine well women exams may need to be rescheduled for a later date or with another provider in order to free up space for obstetric visits and we hope that you will bear with us as we try to navigate this difficult situation.
Given the current demand for obstetric care and the current number of obstetric providers in south Santa Barbara County, below are some things that would be helpful as we try to accommodate our local patients who need prenatal care:
- If you have an appointment scheduled before the end of June with your current provider, please plan to keep that appointment with your provider.
- If you live far from Santa Barbara, you should explore what options are available to you in your local community.
- If your appointment is rescheduled in order to accommodate more urgent prenatal visits, thank you so much for your understanding as we try to navigate this difficult situation.
Please be assured that there is a team of community providers along with our local hospital partner, Cottage Hospital, working together to address this issue to ensure your access to safe high quality care. Sansum Clinic continues to actively recruit additional physicians to the community, including obstetrician/gynecologists and anticipates having more capacity over the next several months.
Again, we thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this unforeseen community wide challenge.
Sincerely,
Sansum Clinic Obstetrics & Gynecology:
| Carin Craig, MD; David Raphael, MD |
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| Charmian Dresel-Velasquez, MD, FACOG; Navi Reiners, MD |
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| Joanna Gibbs, PA-C; Heather Terbell, MD |
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| Ashley McGrogan, PA-C; Meghan Wallman, MD, FACOG |
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| Heather Merrick, MPAS, PA-C; Wanda Westerman NP, CNM |
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Susanne Ramos, MD; Pedram Rashti, MD
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