News-Record.com

The following is a Counterpoint:

By: Neil M. De Stefano, M.D.

Regarding the recent closing of the Annie Penn Birthing Center in Reidsville:

The spin is that this is all driven by doctor shortages. I disagree. The majority of births were not delivered by doctors, but by two midwives. Family Tree Obstetrics employs two midwives and a nurse practitioner, all of whom are involved in vaginal deliveries.

This recent move by Cone Hospital has dealt a death blow to the hospital and the community.

Cone maintains it has done everything possible to keep the center open. With the prestige, power and money that Cone has, it could have solved this problem. Cone recently announced a relationship with N.C. Baptist Hospital, an institution loaded with residents in every facet of medicine. Surely, OB/Gyn residents could rotate in service at Annie Penn. This would benefit both hospital and residents.

It is interesting that many small hospitals in North Carolina are adequately managed and maintain birthing centers, as does Morehead Hospital in Eden, which, by the way, has two OB/Gyn doctors.

I have been on the surgical staff for the past 45 years. I closed my office in December 2006.

Until recently, I have been assisting at surgery. For years, there was sufficient surgery to enable us to have a full-time pathologist. When I arrived in Reidsville in 1963, a pathologist came to Annie Penn Memorial Hospital one day a week. Now, with a much greater volume, we've fallen back to 1963. I honestly feel that the grand plan is to close down most of the services in Reidsville, perhaps leaving a new, very large emergency room, an urgent care center and probably a day surgery for "light" surgery, the rest being transferred to Cone for "intensive care and surveillance." Even now, activities in the Intensive Care Unit at Annie Penn are electronically monitored at Cone. I envision that, over a period of years, most of the medical care for Reidsville patients will be in Greensboro.

Naturally, I am angered by this decision. This involves my colleagues, my former patients, all the patients who have depended on this hospital for years.

The hospital, like a church, is a center of the community. Life begins and ends here.

Businesses always ask about medical facilities before deciding to come. New doctors won't want to become involved where there is a failing hospital. The citizens, for years, have pointed with pride to their physicians, to their hospital.

As you can see, there is much more to the story you presented.

The writer lives in Greensboro.