04/02/2024
It is with mixed emotions that we share that Advanced OBGYN will no longer be offering OB care or midwifery services. Dr. John LaGrand, a champion for midwifery care for the past 10 years and our main collaborating physician, will be retiring from OB to focus on gynecology and surgery. We have spent many months trying to secure collaborative physician coverage that supports the midwifery model of care that is so important to us. While we looked into coverage that would keep us closer to the Grand Rapids area, we found the support and collaboration we needed in Holland. We are thrilled to partner with Holland Hospital and are excited about their vision for the expansion of midwifery care to meet community needs.
After March 31, 2024, the CNMs will no longer be attending births at Corewell Health. On April 1, 2024, we will start attending births at Holland Hospital and offering full scope midwifery services at our new office. Our practice will be called Holland Hospital Midwife Services.
Importantly, Dr. John LaGrand and Dr. Tami Michele will remain at the Advanced Ob-Gyn office at its current location. They will continue to provide women’s health care, gynecologic, and surgical services, but will no longer be providing prenatal/obstetric care.
It is our hope that a majority of our patients will be able to transition to our new home at Holland Hospital and that we can continue the excellent midwifery care you have come to expect from us. Our new office will be located in Zeeland (only 22 miles from Grand Rapids!). We realize that the distance might be a barrier for some but we hope the ease of highway access lessens the challenge. More information about transferring care has been sent to our patients via the Athena patient portal account and is also available on our website. For those who are not registered to the portal account, letters will be mailed early next week. We decided to post on Facebook because the news has come out in other ways and we wanted to make sure everyone received accurate information.
Since starting Midwifery Services at Advanced OBGYN in 2015, the CNMs have welcomed more than 2200 babies into the world! We are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to serve women and grow midwifery care in Grand Rapids. We are looking forward to bringing the option of midwifery care to the larger West Michigan community and trust we will have an important impact on our expanding patient population.
We appreciate your support and patience during this transitional period and look forward to seeing you at our new location. While we cannot respond to questions posted on Facebook, our office staff is ready to assist and current patients can also send questions to the midwives via the Athena patient portal.
Sincerely,
Sarah LaGrand
Breck Reinsma
Julie Ondersma
Kate Van Heck
