Pathways: Delivering Excellence: Around-the-Clock Obstetric and Gynecologic Care
Introduction
At the heart of UICOMP's mission to serve patients and train the next generation of physicians is a commitment to providing exceptional, compassionate care day and night. Nowhere is that commitment more visible than in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where faculty physicians and residents provide comprehensive laborist service at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center.
This dedicated team ensures that every patient, whether arriving for delivery, urgent gynecologic needs, or emergency care, receives expert attention and continuity of care. The department's faculty and residents not only manage labor and delivery services but also provide care for patients without an established physician, offer routine and high-risk prenatal care, and coordinate management for maternal-fetal medicine patients referred from a multi-county region. Their work spans the full spectrum of women's health, from supporting healthy births to addressing complex cases involving multiple comorbidities.
"Our laborist model allows us to be fully present for every patient at any hour," says Stephen Thompson, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "It ensures that expectant mothers and women with urgent obstetric needs receive immediate, expert care while giving our residents unparalleled experience in comprehensive, real-time obstetric management.
In addition to 24-hour obstetric care, the program also maintains 24-hour availability for women with gynecological emergencies. It's a model that benefits patients, learners, and our entire community."
All of the department's core faculty are board-certified with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Beyond labor and delivery, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology continues to expand access to specialized women's health services through expert faculty whose skills address some of the most complex and sensitive conditions.
The department also extends care to the community through its Obstetric/Gynecology Resident Clinic where patients receive comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic services provided by residents under the close supervision of faculty physicians.
The clinic offers accessible, high quality care to women from diverse backgrounds while giving residents meaningful, clinical experience in managing both routine and complex cases all under the supervision of experienced faculty attending physicians. This setting reinforces the department's dual mission of service and education and ensures that patients receive compassionate care today while shaping the skilled physicians of tomorrow.
From 24/7 laborist coverage and resident-led clinics to specialized care in pediatric and adolescent gynecology, gynecological oncology, minimally invasive gynecological surgery (MIGS), and urogynecology, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology exemplifies the integration of clinical excellence, education, and service. Faculty and residents work side by side to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care for women at every stage of life to enhance patient outcomes while providing residents with invaluable hands-on experience in managing a wide range of cases. This work not only strengthens the region's healthcare system but also fulfills the Peoria regional campus's mission to improve the health of the communities it serves, one patient and one learner at a time.
This article is part of the Spring 2026 issue of Pathways magazine.