Double the benefits
Tomah OB-GYN keeps high-risk pregnancy care close to home
In April 2019, Gundersen Tomah Clinic obstetrician and gynecologist Robert Holness, MD, delivered the first set of twins in Tomah since 2017.
A week later, he did it again.
While the births of two pairs of twins so close together made headlines, that the newborns were delivered in a community of about 9,500 also was notable. Not all rural clinics are equipped to care for women with high-risk pregnancies, which include those carrying multiples.
"Offering specialized OB-GYN care in smaller communities is so important," Dr. Holness says. "It makes it more likely that women will receive the care they need throughout their pregnancy, including critical first-term care. It also reduces risks for hospitalization for pregnancy related complications and instances of pre-term deliveries."
Instead of sending high-risk expectant mothers in Tomah to Gundersen La Crosse Clinic—about 100 miles roundtrip—patients can save time by seeing Dr. Holness for prenatal and obstetrical care. Thanks to a partnership with Tomah Health, they can deliver in their community, too.
Women with low-risk pregnancies in Tomah also have options. Family Medicine provider Christine Jacobsen, MD, and certified nurse midwives Emily Rodriguez and Lyn Wedyke provide comprehensive pregnancy care in Tomah.
Dr. Holness is based in Tomah but also sees patients at Gundersen Sparta Clinic, Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics Hillsboro and Gundersen Moundview Hospital and Clinics Friendship. At all four locations, Dr. Holness provides specialized obstetrics and gynecological care for women with complex issues, including:
- Prenatal care
- Irregular periods
- Abnormal bleeding
- Pelvic pain
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Bladder problems
- Abnormal Pap tests
- Uterine fibroids
- Ovarian cysts
- And more
