Regional Center for Border Health now offering OB-GYN services in San Luis
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — The Regional Center for Border Health is now offering obstetrical and gynecological consultations at its San Luis Walk-In Clinic.
Regional Center (RCBH) began offering the consultations Jan. 7 as part of its efforts to expand its services to meet the needs of patients in south Yuma County for prenatal care, said Amanda Aguirre, president and executive director of the non-profit primary care provider.
The consultations are being provided by Dr. Charlotte Richards, an obstetrician and gynecologist who recently joined Somerton-based RCBH.
“Dr. Richards is a professional with wide experience and an excellent resume,” Aguirre said. “We were able to hire her and bring her here from Phoenix, but she is a native of Yuma, so she knows our communities and knows how to work with Hispanic patients.”
Richards is a graduate of the University of Arizona's medical school with a specialty in endocrinology, and has taught at the Harvard University's medical school, Aguirre said.
“We are very proud to bring a professional of that level here,” she said. “Besides that, Dr. Richards is known for her excellent treatment of patients and her ability to speak to our patients in their own language.”
Richards comes to RCBH at a crucial moment, Aguirre said. According to a report the clinic is preparing, she said more than six in 10 women in the county do not get adequate care in the first trimester of pregnancy, and many of them are south county residents.
“The risks to the health of the baby and to the mother are great if they don't receive adequate care. The first three months are critical for avoiding those risks.”
Aguirre said RCBH is looking at hiring a second ob-gyn specialist by March for the purpose of being able to offer the same care at its Somerton Walk-In Clinic.
The San Luis clinic is located at 1896 E. Babbitt Lane, while the Somerton clinic is at 214 W. Main St.
Apart from the consultations, she added, RCBH plans to expand the Somerton clinic and offer a wider range of family planning services there, beginning in July.
