I live in Arlington and Drs Messenger, Bren, Abraham had treated me. I am over 50. I do not want to go back to RHJ.
Any recommendations for VA based gynecologists?
Sibley was about as far as I wanted to go to drop off a urine sample for UTIs.
RHJ Falls Church had been ideal until 2.5 years ago when doc missed 2 polyps after expensive surgicenter procedure and didn't even apologize.

My guess is it's a mixture of things. 1) Hard to compete with larger practices like CWC who may have PE backing (complete guess) to recruit new/younger Observers who want to deliver. 2) Without new OBs it's impossible to take on additional patients/clients. 3) With a limited client base it's impossible to pay for increasing levels of insurance to compensate for the women who are having children at significantly later years in their life (higher risk/older patients = higher insurance). 4) Foxhall's location eliminates younger/low risk patients who may live closer to downtown, thus higher risk/insurance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same boat here. Due March. I got a call from Dr. Green yesterday and the email today. This is more than a little annoying. Can’t have been news to them when they took me on a few months ago. I don’t have a clear explanation for why they can’t deliver their current patients. Seems switching providers in your second trimester means you go with whoever has room for you.

Probably because their malpractice insurance is way too high. They still when to pay it for 18 years or something crazy once they stop delivering so they are drawing a line in the sand. Blame crappy insurance for not covering r ought for doctors to keep their practice open.

People seem to love bloom.

I suspect the blame is with malpractice lawyers and litigious women.

Pretty sure it is in anticipation of floods of lawsuits in the South.

What? South of Loughboro?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same boat here. Due March. I got a call from Dr. Green yesterday and the email today. This is more than a little annoying. Can’t have been news to them when they took me on a few months ago. I don’t have a clear explanation for why they can’t deliver their current patients. Seems switching providers in your second trimester means you go with whoever has room for you.

Probably because their malpractice insurance is way too high. They still when to pay it for 18 years or something crazy once they stop delivering so they are drawing a line in the sand. Blame crappy insurance for not covering r ought for doctors to keep their practice open.

People seem to love bloom.

I suspect the blame is with malpractice lawyers and litigious women.

Pretty sure it is in anticipation of floods of lawsuits in the South.

If you don't need OB services, Foxhall is still an option is my understanding. Also Messenger provides non-OB services with a practice in Bethesda. https://www.myprivia.com/drlorikaler/providers/dr-lauren-messinger

Anonymous wrote:Dr Abraham is leaving in November, according to the OB liaison

Darn. I had seen her once and wrote asking if she would be available, no response.
I guess they want to deliver babies?
Or is the practice not viable?

They sent me a cheery "over 50" letter but every doctor I have seen in thec2 years since fleeing RHJ is gone or going: Bren, Messenger, Abraham.
I DON'T WANT TO CRAWL BACK TO RHJ.

Any recommendations? Is Foxhall going to have doctors? Be viable?

A friend is an OB in the area and confirmed this is the reason. Apparently the malpractice insurance rates are the same or similar (extraordinarily high) whether the practice is delivering 1 baby or 1,000 babies, so if doctors want to slow down and do fewer deliveries, there isn't any cost savings on the insurance side and it becomes prohibitively expensive. My friend said that's why most OBs and practices either carry a (very) full load, or retire or switch to gyn only—there is no middle ground. Unfortunate!

I certainly do blame the insurance costs (and our litigious society), but it does seem like Foxhall knew this was coming for more than the 90 days notice we received. What would have been really respectful to their pregnant patients is if they made the decision by April 1, 2024 (ish), and then stopped taking new OB patients after that date, so they could deliver all the babies through January 20, 2025. But I guess taking no new patients would have meant their 2024 billables couldn't keep up with their 2024 insurance costs... so I guess they were really in a bind. Doctors do have a right to make a living.

This is the frustrating part. Everyone who is scrambling to try to get a doctor of their choice would have been better off if Foxhall had not taken them on. It’s really shocking to be treated this way and kind of left to fend for ourselves. It’s not like they’ve made any effort to connect us with doctors other than basically providing a list of every practice that delivers at Sibley. I can access that list on Sibley’s website.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP - I’m an OB patient and they sent an email to everyone today saying their practice is no longer providing OB services

OB malpractice insurance is prohibitively expensive.

A friend is an OB in the area and confirmed this is the reason. Apparently the malpractice insurance rates are the same or similar (extraordinarily high) whether the practice is delivering 1 baby or 1,000 babies, so if doctors want to slow down and do fewer deliveries, there isn't any cost savings on the insurance side and it becomes prohibitively expensive. My friend said that's why most OBs and practices either carry a (very) full load, or retire or switch to gyn only—there is no middle ground. Unfortunate!

I certainly do blame the insurance costs (and our litigious society), but it does seem like Foxhall knew this was coming for more than the 90 days notice we received. What would have been really respectful to their pregnant patients is if they made the decision by April 1, 2024 (ish), and then stopped taking new OB patients after that date, so they could deliver all the babies through January 20, 2025. But I guess taking no new patients would have meant their 2024 billables couldn't keep up with their 2024 insurance costs... so I guess they were really in a bind. Doctors do have a right to make a living.

Dr Abraham is leaving in November, according to the OB liaison

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Bren will leave.

To where and when?

Anonymous wrote:Dr. Bren will leave.

Any news on whether Dr. Green will leave?

Dr. Bren will leave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same boat here. Due March. I got a call from Dr. Green yesterday and the email today. This is more than a little annoying. Can’t have been news to them when they took me on a few months ago. I don’t have a clear explanation for why they can’t deliver their current patients. Seems switching providers in your second trimester means you go with whoever has room for you.

Probably because their malpractice insurance is way too high. They still when to pay it for 18 years or something crazy once they stop delivering so they are drawing a line in the sand. Blame crappy insurance for not covering r ought for doctors to keep their practice open.

People seem to love bloom.

I suspect the blame is with malpractice lawyers and litigious women.

Anonymous wrote:This is OP - I’m an OB patient and they sent an email to everyone today saying their practice is no longer providing OB services

OB malpractice insurance is prohibitively expensive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Simmons is further out in MD but they may be taking new patients. GW MFA was good a few years ago but had a ton of turnover since then and I know people who had a lot of issues there.

I delivered with MFA in 2023 after the major turnover. They have hired many new doctors since I delivered there, too. It was great in 2023. I wouldn't be surprised if you can be seen there even without your records.

The problem is for patients currently pregnant and past a certain week—other practices won’t even schedule you without reviewing your records. Liability issue for them.

GW is like this-- this didn't want to schedule me until they had all my IVF records which I thought was stupid as I was being seen by my reproductive endocrinologist until week 10 and if i didn't schedule until that appointment no way would i be seen in time for 12 week NT scan and 10 week NIPT... i just argued till they did it anyway?