August 30, 2012

Acquisition enhances women’s services in Williamson County

The Vanderbilt Franklin Women’s Center at Williamson Medical Center offers services for women through all stages of life.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has acquired The Franklin Women’s Center, a group of six obstetrician/gynecologists and two women’s health nurse practitioners in Williamson County who will form a new group, the Vanderbilt Franklin Women’s Center at Williamson Medical Center.

The physicians – Katherine Dykes, M.D., Alison Mullaly, M.D., Cynthia L. Netherton, M.D., Nancy Osburn, M.D., Jacqueline Stafford, M.D., and Cindy Woodall, M.D., are joined by women’s health nurse practitioners Anna Kirk and Nan Gentry.

“Franklin Women’s Center providers are well-respected, established members of the Williamson communities they serve,” said Howard Jones III, professor and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“They will continue to provide their community-based, high quality, personalized care in their existing location, now with the added strength of Vanderbilt’s resources and extensive subspecialty expertise.”

The providers will offer services for women in all stages of life, Jones said, and will perform normal obstetrics deliveries and gynecologic surgery at Williamson Medical Center.

The acquisition is part of an emphasis on offering women’s health care in locations other than the VUMC campus. Jones said, adding that there has been tremendous pressure on the obstetrical services at Vanderbilt University Hospital due to unprecedented growth over the past four years.

The number of deliveries has grown from 2,523 in fiscal year 2008 to 4,164 in fiscal year 2012.

“Because of the very rapid growth we have experienced, we needed to consider ways to expand our services beyond the existing main campus location,” Jones said. “Williamson County was an excellent opportunity because of its proximity to Vanderbilt and its increasing population of reproductive age women.

“We wanted to be part of a successful practice that is entrenched in this area, and Franklin Women’s Center was the obvious choice,” he said. The providers will continue to practice in their building which is conveniently located next to Williamson Medical Center. “With Vanderbilt’s new alliance with Williamson Medical Center we can now offer patients Vanderbilt providers who practice at a Vanderbilt-affiliated hospital,” Jones said.