WMC patients, staff spread across area

It will be one year this April since the Women's Medical Center (WMC) in Clovis announced its permanent closing. The announcement came after clinic administrators reported they tried every effort to recruit OB/Gyn physicians, but ultimately failed.

They officially closed their doors last June.

WMC served the area for 35 years, treating patients in Curry, Roosevelt, DeBaca and Quay counties.

Almost one year later, how are women in eastern New Mexico receiving the care they need? In their original announcement, WMC provided resources to other physicians in West Texas and other parts of New Mexico.

Shelby Allen, a Melrose resident who had her first child in August, received her care at BSA Hospital in Amarillo where she delivered her son, Knox. When WMC closed, she was already 7 months pregnant, and she said it wasn't ideal trying to find a new OB/Gyn at that point in her pregnancy.

"At 7 months pregnant, I was already having appointments every two weeks, so driving back and forth to Amarillo wasn't fun," Allen said.

Allen said she had a positive experience, and from then on decided to continue her care there. She said even though it was hard, it was worth it to make that two-hour drive.

Some of the doctors who worked at WMC transferred to other offices in eastern New Mexico. One of them was Certified Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwife Cristy Walsh.

Walsh worked at WMC for 23 years, and she said the news of the closing was devastating.

"It was a shock to our staff, providers, and patients," she said. "After the passing of Bruce Cross and the retirement of William Moore, it left a big void."

Cross founded WMC 35 years before it closed. Moore decided to retire after 30 years of service, according to the original announcement of the closure.

After the closing, Walsh and two others, Melissa Sprinkle and Glynda Dallas, transferred into the Roosevelt General Hospital Clinics.

"Any change after that many years is hard," Walsh said. "I chose RGH because I wanted to stay committed to women's health." She added that RGH made the transition easy and that it was supportive to those doctors from WMC.

Walsh is still able to provide care to women, and she said there were also options becoming available at Plains Regional Medical Center (PRMC) in Clovis.

Jorge Cruz, hospital chief executive for PRMC, said in a statement, "We are proud to offer women's services to our community. We provide well-woman visits, OB/GYN care and support, including family planning to pregnancy."

Walsh said most of their patients that went to WMC have switched to providers in West Texas and Roswell.