Women’s Health Specialists, the seven-physician gynecology practice on Wolf River Boulevard, will become a division of Memphis Obstetrics and Gynecological Association on Feb. 1.

The addition makes MOGA one of the largest OB/GYN practices in the Southeast with 39 physicians. The Mestemacher Clinic for Women and Women’s Physicians Group are the other two divisions under its umbrella.

With Women’s Health Specialists, MOGA now has seven locations, including its new 16,000-square-foot headquarters and clinic at 8110 N. Brother Blvd. in Bartlett. 

“It’s a good business move in that we can take another clinical practice under our practice and share business expenses. It gives us greater efficiency,” said Dr. Aric Giddens, MOGA’s president.

“Secondly, with an expanded patient base, we can offer more services, more diagnostics, perhaps a diagnostic mammogram. We are exploring that.”

Women’s Health Specialists’ office will maintain its own identity and name; it will share back-office function, including billing, with MOGA, splitting costs in a revenue-share agreement.

Financial details of the arrangement were not revealed.

Dr. Giancarolo Mari, obstetrics/gynecology professor at University of Tennessee Health Science Center, says acquisitions in this field particularly actually can improve care because it allows physicians to spread on-call times over a broader base.

“I think by having a larger group, people might think they are going to lose the one-on-one relationship,” he said. “Where medicine is going, people should look at quality of care.

“By having larger groups, we can reduce the physician burnout. The physician and the patients benefit because if the physician is in solo practice or small office, they are going to be on call every day or every other day,” he said.

The incidence of burnout in those situation is high.

“In a larger group, people can also have a life with their family and reduce burnout. They are happier and more relaxed, and that helps their patients.”

In small towns, practice mergers often eliminate competition, which is negative. But that is not the case in Memphis, Mari said, where several practices offer gynecology subspecialties.

There will be no changes in clinical practice, and Giddens doubts patients will see any changes, although statements will now come from MOGA’s central billing office.

“By leveraging the strengths of both groups, both groups are stronger and will be able to provide expanded services and more efficient care to our patients while maintaining quality obstetrical and gynecologic care,” Dr. Thomas Stovall, managing partner of Women’s Health Specialists, said in a statement.

One of the immediate benefits to MOGA is that Women’s Health Specialists offers urogynecology, a subspecialty MOGA has not had.

“We’ve been referring patients there for years,” Giddens said. “But now it will be very easy to schedule appointments. It makes it even easier because they will have instant access to our patient records.” 

He also said several people on Women’s Health Specialists’ staff were leaving; they will not have to be replaced now.

This is third acquisition in the last decade for MOGA, which employs 150 people full-time on its support staff.