Partnership will enhance women’s health services, provide a full continuum of care to women

Lifespan’s Women’s Medicine Collaborative has announced a new partnership with OB/GYN Associates, Inc., one of the state’s largest obstetrics and gynecology practices with locations throughout Rhode Island and neighboring Massachusetts. The partnership is expected to be finalized in August. 

The partnership will expand the suite of services provided by the Women’s Medicine Collaborative, Rhode Island’s largest multidisciplinary center dedicated to the unique health needs of women at all stages of life. 

“This closer collaboration with OB/GYN Associates supports our mission of providing compassionate, high quality care by a cohesive group of providers, and is the natural next step in the development of a comprehensive, one-stop resource for women’s health,” said Karen Rosene-Montella, MD, Lifespan’s senior vice president for women’s services and clinical integration. “This partnership reinforces our commitment to providing the best patient-centered care in the most cost-effective setting and we are extremely pleased that such a well-established and respected practice is joining the Lifespan system.” 

Launched in August 2011, the Women’s Medicine Collaborative offers patient-centered, personalized care across a full range of services, including obstetric medicine, primary care, gastrointestinal medicine, behavioral medicine, pulmonology, infectious diseases, cancer survivorship and other specialty areas. All services are provided in a single location, making it easy for patients to access the care they need under one roof. The collaborative also includes a Lifestyle Medicine Center, which features support groups, exercise classes, and massage therapy, in addition to other mindfulness-based therapies. 

“Our guiding principle is that we are committed to our patients, and to providing the highest quality obstetrical and gynecological care possible. This affiliation with Lifespan’s Women’s Medicine Collaborative will give our patients more options, while not diminishing our presence at Women & Infants’ Hospital, especially as our patients will continue to deliver their babies at Women & Infants Hospital. Our affiliation with Lifespan will give us, and our patients, more seamless access to our colleagues across the full medical specialty spectrum for consultation and collaboration,” said John Bert, MD, OB/GYN Associates. As always, the Lifespan system will continue to honor patient and provider choice.  

OB/GYN Associates, Inc. provides a full range of obstetric and gynecological services and includes a medical staff of 12 physicians, five certified nurse midwives and two nurse practitioners. The practice plans to maintain multiple locations throughout the state and Massachusetts.

“Over half of the care that Lifespan hospitals currently provide is to women of all ages. The collaborative model of the Women’s Medicine Collaborative means that clinicians at OB/GYN Associates will have access to a number of specialists and staff who complement, not duplicate, the services offered by their practice. This holistic approach is built on a strong foundation of communication, collaboration and treatment through all phases of a woman’s life,” said Rosene-Montella.

The Women’s Medicine Collaborative currently includes 18 staff physicians, two affiliated physicians, three nurse practitioners and two licensed clinical social workers. 

Lifespan’s partnership with OB/GYN Associates supports the organization’s overall commitment to providing patient-centered care by making care easier to navigate and access. Lifespan plans to continue to look for innovative ways to transform care delivery in ways that put patients at the center of an integrated delivery system.