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State of Franklin OB/GYN Specialists Delivers Affordable, Patient-Centered Care


Every woman will face her share of tough decisions over the course of a lifetime, but no decision is more crucial than choosing the medical professionals responsible for providing high-quality care throughout pregnancy and ultimately delivering a healthy child.

At State of Franklin OB/GYN Specialists, that responsibility is not taken lightly. In fact, the practices and protocols put in place to ensure the health of area mothers and newborns are examined and refined three Wednesdays out of each month around a long conference table located inside the practice.

Around this table, our doctors with well over 100 years of combined experience pour over the latest data and discuss current cases to ensure they are offering the best care to their patients. This commitment to the health of its patients has allowed the group to reduce patient costs while increasing access to care that consistently ranks among the best in the state across several key metrics.

Partnering with insurance payers, the doctors at State of Franklin are able to see where they stack up against their peers locally and statewide.

“We’re running reports constantly, and this is population health at its best because we’re looking at this one population for a defined time during an episode of care (pregnancy),” said Dr. Grover May, who is beginning his 24th year at the practice.

For the past five years, the data has shown that State of Franklin is consistently among the top practices in the state in terms of quality of care, but the cost of this care always ranks among the lowest 10 percent in the state of Tennessee. “We’re maintaining high quality at a lower cost,” May said.

Taking ownership in each patient’s health has led the practice to build a knowledgeable team of doctors, midwives, nurse practitioners and physical therapists who work in unison to ensure the health of the expectant mothers and their babies.

Every healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy mother. Our midwives and advanced level nurse practitioners serve a vital role in starting expectant mothers and their children off on the right foot. They obtain in depth information at the first appointment, which allows the doctors to quickly identify any health issues the mother may have and to prepare the appropriate plan of care to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Our team approach also allows us to set up systems by which we can duplicate a high quality standard of care every time, not just most of the time,” May says.

Glucose screening, Group B Strep screening, and the administration of a Tdap vaccine guarding against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough help ensure each expectant mother gets off to a healthy start. Nurse practitioners and midwives play key roles in patient education, and the development of an obstetrical app which is available to all expectant mothers further aids efforts to improve patient health and health literacy ahead of childbirth.

Dr. May is quick to point out that pregnancy is a state of wellness, but some patients do have disease states that could lead to problems during pregnancy. Armed with complete background information, doctors can more easily identify any potential disease states and get started addressing those early in the pregnancy.

Midwives are also an invaluable part of the team at State of Franklin. When many people hear “midwife,” they think of home births and natural birthing techniques, but the certified nurse midwives at State of Franklin are highly trained specialists with extensive medical training who are able to help in many aspects of care in conjunction with deliveries. May says doctors are “high-tech while midwives are high-touch”. Prior to childbirth, our midwives and team of pelvic health physical therapists can help teach pushing techniques and educate patients on positioning, thereby improving labor experiences and outcomes.

Sherri Hutchins, Director of Women’s & Children’s Services for State of Franklin Healthcare said the “team” approach allows State of Franklin OB/GYN Specialists to provide the highest quality of care while supporting and empowering the women of our region throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.

While the doctors at State of Franklin use metrics as a guide, May said there is nothing more valuable than a healthy mom and a healthy baby. State of Franklin OB/GYN Specialists strive to ensure this mission with each and every patient. At the end of the day, the entire team at State of Franklin is dedicated to consistently delivering healthy babies while ensuring the health and wellbeing of the mother and baby throughout the pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period.

Year after year, data gathered by insurance payers shows State of Franklin is succeeding in that mission.

Posted in SOFHA Updates