PETOSKEY, MI — McLaren Northern Michigan has opened a new obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Petoskey to keep women’s health and pregnancy services available for patients across Northern Michigan. The practice, McLaren Northern Michigan Obstetrics and Gynecology, was created after Bay View OB/GYN announced it was closing, a move that would have left the area with far fewer dedicated options for this type of care.
Hospital leaders said the new clinic was designed to maintain access close to home for women, families and communities that depend on routine gynecologic care as well as obstetric services. The clinic is now seeing patients in the Burns Medical Office Building, and appointments can be scheduled by phone during weekday business hours.
Clinic opens in the Burns Medical Office Building on West Mitchell Street
The clinic is located in Suite 210 of the Burns Medical Office Building at 560 W. Mitchell St. in Petoskey. It operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., giving patients a local option for scheduling visits without traveling long distances for care.
Patients can make appointments by calling (231) 487-2340. McLaren Northern Michigan said the clinic was established to serve patients throughout the region, not just those living in Petoskey. That broader reach matters in Northern Michigan, where access to specialty health care can be spread out over a large area.
The hospital said the new practice is intended to support care from adolescence through menopause and beyond. That includes preventive visits, reproductive health care and services for patients who need ongoing monitoring or treatment for gynecologic conditions.
What services the new practice will provide for women at every stage of life
McLaren Northern Michigan said the clinic offers a wide range of services for women at every stage of life. Those include prenatal care, high-risk pregnancy management, labor and delivery care, postpartum care, annual wellness exams, Pap tests and cervical cancer screenings.
The practice also provides menopause management, treatment for gynecologic conditions, minimally invasive gynecologic procedures, well-woman screenings and individualized preventive care plans. Hospital officials said the goal is to make the clinic a comprehensive local resource rather than a limited stopgap service.
That range of care is especially important for patients who need both routine appointments and specialized attention over time. By bringing multiple types of women’s health care together in one clinic, McLaren Northern Michigan said it hopes to help patients keep up with preventive care while also addressing more complex needs.
Temporary physician coverage is being supported by Grand Traverse Women’s Clinic
To make sure patients continue receiving obstetric care while permanent physicians are hired, McLaren Northern Michigan has arranged inpatient and outpatient OB coverage through Grand Traverse Women’s Clinic. The hospital said that partnership is meant to prevent gaps in care during the transition.
The current care team includes Holly McKinney, FNP, and Shelby Waibel, FNP-BC. McLaren said this staffing approach is part of its effort to maintain uninterrupted, high-quality care while it recruits physicians for the long term.
Hospital leaders emphasized that continuity matters most for patients who are pregnant or managing ongoing women’s health needs. The temporary arrangement gives the clinic a way to open now while building a permanent team for the future.
Hospital leaders say maintaining access close to home was the priority
Dr. Kenneth Kreuchauf, McLaren Northern Michigan’s chief medical officer, said access to women’s health and obstetric services is essential to the health and well-being of families and communities. He said patients in Northern Michigan should be able to receive that care close to home, where safety and continuity can be better maintained.
McLaren Health Care executive vice president and chief operating officer Chad Grant said the clinic reflects the system’s commitment to the communities it serves. He added that the hospital did not create the situation, but felt obligated to respond for the wellbeing of women and families in the region.
Both leaders framed the clinic as a long-term response to a local access problem. Rather than relying on patients to look elsewhere for care, McLaren said it wanted to preserve a dependable local option.
McLaren Northern Michigan says the clinic fits its broader rural health mission
McLaren Northern Michigan is a 202-bed acute care hospital serving 22 counties across northern Lower Michigan and the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula. The hospital said its services include primary, preventive and diagnostic care, trauma and emergency medicine, and specialty programs such as surgery, cardiovascular care, orthopedics, neurosciences and women’s health.
The Petoskey hospital also operates the McLaren Northern Michigan-Cheboygan Campus, which includes a freestanding emergency department and the Justin A. Borra Behavioral Health Center. It is accredited by The Joint Commission and has a graduate medical education program that trains future health care providers in a rural family medicine setting.
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, is a statewide system with 12 hospitals and a wide network of physicians and other providers. The organization said the new clinic aligns with its larger commitment to evidence-based care, community access and rural health services.
