Sentara partners with Harrisonburg OBGYN to increase women's health services

Sentara Medical Group has partnered with Harrisonburg OBGYN, a highly respected and well-established obstetrics and gynecology practice that has served the Shenandoah Valley for more than 40 years.  

On Monday, April 8, Harrisonburg OBGYN will become Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter for Sentara Health and the women the practice will serve. 

“We are excited to partner with Harrisonburg OBGYN, a practice that has served patients here for more than four decades,” said Grey Watson, executive director of business operations for Sentara Medical Group. “Forming Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists is an extension of our longstanding commitment to exceptional patient care. Together, we are poised to elevate women's health outcomes and set new standards of excellence in our community."

This partnership is an important development that will help Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists expand and enhance women's health services in Harrisonburg and ensure that the community has access to the highest standard of care throughout every stage of life.

“We have always known Sentara to provide excellent hospital-based services for the women of the Shenandoah Valley, but now we will be able to utilize Sentara’s resources to attract new women’s health providers and expand our services,” said Daniel Weinberg, M.D., who practices at Harrisonburg OBGYN. “This will translate to more appointment availability, improved hospital coverage, and better integration with Sentara’s record system. Altogether, it will lead to a better experience for our patients and the community.”

Harrisonburg OBGYN brings a team of accomplished physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and skilled medical staff who share Sentara’s vision for providing comprehensive and compassionate care to expectant mothers, women, and families in the community. 

“We have been committed to this community, especially the women and children, for the last 40 years,” said Dr. Cathy Slusher, M.D., who also works at Harrisonburg OBGYN. “It was a practice that was started with great enthusiasm by Dr. Walter Zirkle. We have maintained that, and it is only going to continue and grow with this partnership with Sentara.”

From prenatal to postpartum care for mothers to the full complement of women’s health services, Sentara strives to provide an unparalleled, seamless transition of care for its patients while fostering a supportive environment and strengthening the impressive maternity program at Sentara RMH Medical Center.

In related news, Sentara RMH Medical Center’s Family Birthplace was nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a high-performing hospital for maternity care for the second year in a row. The inclusion in the rankings signals that Sentara RMH Medical Center is not only one of the top maternity care providers in the state of Virginia but also in the nation. Given that the maternity team delivers nearly 1,800 babies annually, Sentara RMH Medical Center Family Birthplace is committed to providing world-class maternal care throughout the Shenandoah Valley.  

As part of its overall commitment to women’s health and care for expecting mothers, Sentara RMH Medical Center has also partnered with Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) to establish a hospital-based OBGYN program that is on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The OBHG hospitalists deliver real-time triage, care for unassigned patients, handle obstetrical emergencies, and offer collaborative, non-competitive support for private practice physicians.

Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists

While the practice name changes on April 8, the office hours and address will remain the same. The phone number, however, will be changing:

Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists
2291 Evelyn Byrd Ave. 
Harrisonburg, Va. 22801
Phone: (540) 534-6335
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 

Also, as part of this change, the current website, HarrisonburgOBGYN.com, will be transitioned to the Sentara Health website. Starting April 8, you can find information about the practice at Sentara.com/OBGYNHarrisonburg.

Physicians/providers joining Sentara Obstetrics, Gynecology & Midwifery Specialists:

• Cathy Slusher, M.D.
• LaDene King, M.D.
• Stephanie Scheidt, M.D.
• Daniel Weinberg, M.D.
• Sherry Mongold, nurse practitioner 
• Shannon Ikenberry, nurse practitioner 
• Mary Piller, certified nurse midwife 
• Whitney Adams, certified nurse midwife
• Michael Botticelli, M.D. (Joining in fall 2024)