Kaweah Health photo

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that OB-GYN Medical Associates joined with Kaweah Health in 2018 to deliver babies to patients without their own obstetricians.

Kaweah Health in Visalia is the latest system to lose the obstetrics services of a physician group with the news that Visalia OB-GYN Medical Associates will stop providing services there effective Dec. 20, 2024.

With one of their physicians recently hired by Kaweah Health, they have gone from four to three physicians, which precipitated the decision due to staffing, said Dr. Mark Wiseman of Visalia OB-GYN Medical Associates.

Wiseman said the group, established in 1996, will continue to provide OB-GYN services to its patients.

“We are deeply appreciative of the exceptional care Visalia OB-GYN has provided to our community over many years,” said Kaweah Health CEO Gary Herbst.

Over the last year Visalia OB-GYN has worked with Kaweah Health to try to recruit new physicians, according to a news release.

“While we recognize and share the community’s concern about this change in services, we understand the challenges faced in recruiting physicians to our area, as well as the broader challenges facing obstetric programs at hospitals in our community and across the state,” Herbst said.

Another Visalia-based provider, Family HealthCare Network, announced last month that it would discontinue its OB-GYN services at Adventist Health Hanford. Family HealthCare Network said the change was based on the patient volume at Adventist Hanford.

Adventist Health Tulare shut down its maternity ward in June and American Advanced Management, the new operator for Madera Community Hospital, announced it doesn’t intend to revive the maternity ward as it aims to reopen the shuttered hospital later this year.

Kaweah Health said it reaffirmed its commitment to providing comprehensive OB-GYN care to the community by recently hiring Dr. Holly Quinn, previously of Visalia OB-GYN Medical Associates, who joins Dr. Carlos Rangel, Dr. Juan Sabogal, and Dr. Talaksoon Khademi, all OB-GYN physicians practicing within the Kaweah Health system. Kaweah Health is also actively working to expand its facilities and increase access to maternity services in Visalia and its clinics. The organization’s efforts extend to collaborating with other providers across Tulare County to support the needs of their patients.

“Our OB teams are committed to addressing the unique needs of every patient, ensuring a positive and safe birthing experience,” said Melissa Filiponi, director of Maternal Child Health.

Kaweah Health currently has an OB laborist on site 24/7 to respond to any OB emergencies or for those patients who don’t have a prenatal care provider. With more than 4,500 babies delivered each year, Kaweah Health staff and providers are experienced in both low- and high-risk deliveries, according to the release. Additionally, the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stands ready to care for babies requiring specialized care.

“Our partnership with Valley Children’s Hospital provides us with access to maternal fetal medicine providers for those high-risk pregnancies, pediatric hospitalists who provide routine newborn care, and neonatologists who provide care to our tiniest patients without families having to leave our community,” Filiponi said.