Expectant parents will soon be able to coordinate prenatal care, labor, delivery and postpartum services through a new collaboration with physicians at Van Diest Family Health Clinic — VDFHC — and Boone County Family Medicine North.

Beginning this month, Dr. Nikki Ehn and Dr. Elise Duwe, both family medicine physicians at VDFHC, will partner with three family medicine physicians at Boone Family Medicine North to provide a shared-care opportunity for patients needing obstetric services.

Ehn said the OB doctors from Boone reached out to her to introduce themselves and to discuss the services they could offer expectant mothers.

“They have three doctors who provide OB care. Two of the three also do C-Sections, so they really provide a full-spectrum of OB care,” she explained.

Ehn and Duwe had discussed the possibility of developing a shared care model if the Boone physicians were interested.

“Providing that prenatal care is something that Dr. Duwe and I both enjoy — offering prenatal care and building that connection with our patients, as well as building our practices by welcoming new babies and new families into our clinic,” Ehn said.

The Boone County physicians told Ehn that their practice already sees patients from Hamilton County and the doctors would appreciate a connection to send the moms and babies back to Webster City for continued care.

“We’re excited to be able to offer a continuation of care in that way, especially with a group of doctors who are similarly-minded in how they were trained and how they view patient care and the importance of involving a family in family medicine,” Ehn said.

Shared care

“The shared care allows that continuity that is so important to family medicine,” Duwe added.

She went on to explain that patients will essentially have two physicians guiding the prenatal care.

“One of them will be your primary care provider. Bringing in a very like-minded physician from the three providers at Boone will give the opportunity for a very smooth and comfortable delivery where the patient’s voice is heard and their wishes are respected,” Duwe said.

Both physicians said they were pleased to be able to offer prenatal care for their patients.

“It’s exciting to get to watch the pregnancy unfold. It’s exciting to see people through that whole phase of life,” Ehn said. “That’s what drew me to family medicine — the ability to care for someone through their entire life.”

“As the newest family physician at Van Diest, I think the greatest excitement for me is certainly meeting the moms and building that practice, but also getting to see more babies,” Duwe said. “The collaboration will also mean there will be a good relationship with a trusted provider offering support and care in labor and delivery.”

“Then, a few days later, I will get to see mom and baby to continue that support for many years to come,” Duwe said.

Leigh Miller, Director of Clinics for Van Diest Medical Center, said developing the shared-care model with Boone County Hospital has been a “fantastic experience.”

“The ability to get the program up and running in a short period of time is really a testament to the relationship we have developed with the BCH providers,” Miller said, adding, “It speaks to how well our providers will work with them and points to the continuity and collaboration that will be there for patients.”

Here’s how it works

Miller said the shared-care model begins at Van Diest Family Health Clinic with the initial pregnancy test.

“If a patient believes she may be pregnant, she can set an appointment with Dr. Ehn or Dr. Duwe to confirm that,” she said. “We’ll provide initial education, lab work and what the next steps will look like for them.

“They will then go to Boone to meet the providers there and to have an initial ultrasound,” she explained. “Then they will return to us. They will get to stay with Dr. Ehn or Dr. Duwe and go through the first several appointments with them. We’ll do all the normal prenatal testing, education, and follow-up.”

Miller said Ehn and Duwe will keep the BCH providers apprised of the pregnancy progression.

At about 28 weeks, the patients will return to Boone County Family Medicine North to have an ultrasound and to discuss labor and delivery options.

“They will continue with Dr. Ehn and Dr. Duwe until 36 weeks. At that point they will resume their care at Boone County Family Medicine North until they deliver at Boone County Hospital,” Miller said. “The ability of the two clinics to share information by way of electronic medical records will help make the transition of care seamless,” she added.

The collaboration continues after the delivery as the moms and babies transition back to their providers in Webster City.

“It really is a holistic way of keeping your primary care provider involved throughout the entire process,” Miller explained.

The Boone physicians

Ehn said the three physicians from Boone — Dr. Rienera Sivesind, Dr. J. Lindsey Hay and Dr. Kate Linkenmeyer — come from backgrounds in family medicine and approach OB in a very holistic and very patient-centered way.

“They are very much focused on helping the patient to be empowered and have a voice in how they want the birth to go,” Ehn said.

Ashley Burtnett will serve as the OB coordinator for Van Diest Family Health Clinic. Patients can contact her at 515-832-7884 for more information or to make initial appointments. Both new and existing patients are invited to contact the clinic to learn more about prenatal care options.