By John Howell Sr.

Tri-Lake’s Medical Center Marketing Director Madison Drake may have learned last week that the hospital’s Women’s Clinic is among its better-kept secrets.

Drake had introduced two members of the Women’s Clinic staff who presented a program about the clinic at the Batesville Rotary Club’s weekly meeting. One of them — Family Nurse Practitioner Liz Edwards — asked for a show of hands from those in the audience who were aware of the clinic.
 
When few hands were raised, it was apparent that Drake had made a wise choice to inform the civic club audience.

Joining Edwards from the Women’s Clinic was Dr. Sunday Asaju, a Nigerian-born, U. S.-educated obstetrician and gynecologist whose background includes 18 years practice in New York, before making the move to to Tri-Lakes.

Asaju said the decision to come here was cinched when he and wife first visited. “First time, she liked the place, so we are here,” he said.

Also scheduled to have appeared at the Rotary meeting but absent due to unscheduled events was the Women’s Clinic husband/wife team of Drs. Sean Tucker and Kenyetta Brummitt.

Drs. Tucker and Brummitt were themselves “at any minute” having their first child,” Madison said.

Completing the Women’s Clinic staff of five obstetricians/gynecologists and one Family Nurse Practitioner are Dr. Charles Haley and Dr. Charles Davis.

The Women’s Clinic, having outgrown the space originally allocated for it in the Tri-Lakes Medical Center main building, has relocated to Tri-Lakes Village, next to Mi Pueblo Restaurant in space formerly occupied by Lenny’s Sub Shop. The clinic is awaiting move to its permanent home in the medical office building planned for construction east of the present main hospital building, Drake said.

The Women’s Clinic offers “so many services,” Edwards said, including the routine “annual exams, pap smears, mammograms” that protect the health of female patients as well as sophisticated surgical procedures that utilize Tri-Lakes’ da Vinci Surgical System, Asaju said.
The da Vinci Surgical System allows the surgeon a view of the site that is 10 times more powerful than the human eye, according to information Drake provided. With the view of the surgical site enhanced by high definition images and 3-D capabilities, the surgeon maneuvers robotic arms, capable of finer movements than the human arm, to areas beyond reach of the human hand. Advantages with the robotics-assisted surgery include smaller incisions, minimized blood loss, reduced need for pain medications, reduced risk of infection and shorter hospital stays, Asaju said.

“This is a great team of doctors and we were the first in our market to do these robotic procedures on the da Vinci,” Drake said. “Spread the word because you don’t have to travel to get this care.”

“They are a great group of folks,” Tri-Lakes CEO Wes Sigler said, echoing Drake’s comments, “not just great doctors, the group we have from the physician staff to the people we have to support them. In the clinic it’s a very happy atmosphere, very positive vibes … We’re very fortunate to have these folks.”