SURGEON EXPERIENCES OUR PROMISE OF INTEGRATED CARE

Thirty years ago, a forward-thinking group of doctors and care providers years partnered to form Longstreet Clinic. What they envisioned was precisely the type of outcome and continuum of care like the one breast and general surgeon Mary Read, M.D., has experienced.

When she joined Longstreet Clinic in September 2024, she and her husband Chris were already the proud parents of a healthy daughter named Dorothy. Shortly thereafter, they discovered they were expecting again. It made sense that she would seek care for her family where she now practiced.

An unexpected diagnosis

During Dr. Read’s second pregnancy, she was diagnosed with an Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). Her care team comprised of perinatology and OGBYN at Longstreet Clinic helped relieve her fears and simplified an otherwise complicated situation. And now that her four-month-old daughter Celia (“CeCe”) is here and thriving, she looks back on her providers’ care and expertise with both admiration and gratitude.

“The doctors, nurses, midwives, and staff at Longstreet Clinic did everything possible to care for me and my baby,” said Dr. Read, whose circumstances required a C-section birth at 37 weeks. “They coordinated with each other so well that I never had to worry about anything getting left out or me having to do anything beyond showing up for appointments, listening to their advice, and following their instructions after I’d made the decisions. I can’t say enough about the level of care. In fact, it’s what I strive for in the care that I give to my own patients.”

Dr. Read has the unique perspective of being both a provider for and a patient of Longstreet Clinic, and her experience as a patient has further sparked her to meet the highest standards.

“It’s scary when you have a complicated pregnancy no matter who you are, but being a provider and knowing all the potential complications, it can be even scarier,” Dr. Read said. “But the doctors that cared for me and CeCe were such a calming and reassuring presence, as well as accommodating and trustworthy, that it really put us at ease. There was zero guesswork for me.”

A FIRST STEP TOWARDS BETTER HEALTH

“They took the time to work with me and make it easy for me. I’m a working mom with a toddler – so you want everything made as easy as possible,” Dr. Read said. “I had to go to a lot of appointments for my own health, and little things like having people really work to make it easy for me is such a big deal.”

It also helped that Dr. Read never had to travel far or worry that her providers were uninformed.

“Everyone coordinated my care so that all I had to do was show up – I joke that they lovingly talked about me behind my back,” Dr. Read said. “But going to the same building for all my various needs made things simple too. The result was that it really left little room for worry. It really was the whole package, a one-stop shop for care.”

CeCe was delivered by OGBYN Dr. Robert Brett Barger, FACOG, and, at 4 pounds, her daughter was right on the verge of staying in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Thanks to diligent care, however, she was able to go home with her parents almost immediately.

“I had my older daughter naturally. Beyond growing at a slower rate, CeCe was also breach – but sometimes babies can flip and you can have natural labor. I was debating those risks, but Dr. Barger made the decision clear for me,” Dr. Read said. “It’s been that way with everyone we’ve seen. The personalized touch and access they provide is amazing.”

CeCe has since been seen by Megan J. Farley, MD, and Nancy Quinn, CPNP, and others as part of Longstreet Clinic’s WeeCare for newborns and Pediatrics practice.

“Being born at 4 pounds, she had some growing to do, as you can imagine, but she’s really doing well,” Dr. Read said. “She even has a sweet little double chin.”

Already inspired to serve her own patients, Dr. Read said she’s been further encouraged by her colleagues’ approach and thinks about the standard they set in her own clinical setting.

“They took care of the baby but also my body and my mind,” Dr. Read said. “I cannot say enough about everything we experienced.”

For clinic leadership, Dr. Read’s and CeCe’s story is a humbling reminder that what was undertaken all those years ago was not only attainable – but a standard to be met each day.

“It’s so wonderful to hear stories like Dr. Read’s – not only because it’s heartwarming but because it illustrates that this Clinic continues to provide the integrated, specialized care that was the goal of our founders three decades ago,” Longstreet Clinic CEO Mimi Collins said. “It’s gratifying to hear the Reads share their story and to know that so many great people here have been a part of their story.”

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