LYNN LOFTON

Dr. Pamela Lacy

Two young, bright female physicians have brought their special touch to the Physicians & Surgeons Clinic in Columbus.

Drs. Pamela Lacy and Cassie Brook Hill are part of a national trend of an increasing number of female practitioners of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). That trend is also on the rise in Mississippi. According to the State Board of Licensure, 78 female OB/GYNs practice in the state, compared to 59 in 2002. By the year 2012, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) predicts that at least half of all OB/GYNs will be female, compared to 8 percent in 1975.

“Pamela and Cassie come to us with numerous honors, professional affiliations and research experience,” said the clinic’s Dr. Patrick Chaney, who also serves as vice chair, Mississippi section of the ACOG. “Their knowledge and dedication complements our philosophy of providing the very best care for women — something we’ve been doing for more than 40 years.”

Hill, a Starkville native, says people at the clinic impressed her with their relationships with patients. “It’s different at some clinics, and theirs is the way I want to be treated as a patient,” she said. “It’s also close to home, allowing my children to have grandparents and great grandparents around.”

For Lacy, a Columbus native, being affiliated with the clinic is more than she expected. “I love it here. It’s great, and the level of care keeps me busy,” she said.

She began there in 2006, the clinic’s first female OB/GYN and the first minority. “Everyone has been very receptive, but I was shocked at first at the number of patients who were a little hesitant,” she said. “Some have never seen a woman OB/GYN before. Also, some patients’ spouses are hesitant and want a male doctor to take a look.”

However, Lacy feels patients appreciate her perspective, realizing she knows first hand what they’re experiencing.

When Lacy, 35, was a child, she wanted to become a physician, and specifically an OB/GYN, after reading a book about where babies come from. After graduation from Mississippi State University, she received a doctorate from the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hahnemann School of Medicine and completed her residency at UTSW Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. She was involved in research of abnormal Pap smears in pregnancy and received the Peggy J. Walley Medicus Award in 2006 as an outstanding resident.

“There have been many rewarding things for me, but it’s mostly been seeing my dreams come true,” she said. “I like being a part of the community here and giving back.”

Lacy believes in the importance of educating patients and members of the community and hopes to be involved in those efforts.

Her family is complete with husband, Leroy Lacy, and 14-month-old daughter, Jaden.

Hill, 30, is also a graduate of MSU, where she earned a degree in biological engineering, a field in which she did research before attending medical school.
“I didn’t have a plan for medical school, but I got interested in it because I had a jaw replacement in high school,” she said. “I thought I would go into orthopedics, but then I worked part time at a women’s clinic in Starkville while I was in college.”

That experience got Hill interested in the practice of OB/GYN because she liked the idea of being a part of a woman’s life as a teenager through motherhood and on into menopause and grandmotherhood.

“We get to take care of them in all phases in the clinic and be there with them through everything,” she said. “I’ve had two difficult pregnancies, having to spend time on bed rest, so I can understand these things. Being a mother makes a difference and helps me relate.”

Hill feels it’s important to help patients with social as well as medical issues, especially during difficult times.

She earned her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center where she also completed her residency and was involved in the research of tocolysis for preterm labor (using drugs to stop early labor). She received an Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Award in 2003.

“Everything for me is great right now,” Hill said. “I have two healthy children and my husband, Robin, and I can balance my family with realizing my goals as an OB/GYN.”

Like Lacy, Hill is interested in community health education and would like to see a strong emphasis on it, especially with teenagers.

“I would also like to encourage girls to have careers in OB/GYN and advise them not to shy away from their dreams,” she said.

Hill has a three-year-old daughter, Annsley, and a newborn son, Taylor Scott, who was delivered by her friend and colleague, Dr. Lacy.

Founded in 1965, Physicians & Surgeons Clinic has six physicians operating out of Columbus and Amory. The clinic is a regional provider of OB/GYN services and pelvic relaxation and incontinence services and surgeries.



June 2008