EASTERN CAROLINA WOMEN’S CENTER JOINS CAROLINAEAST PHYSICIANS CarolinaEast OB/GYN is Formed

CarolinaEast Health System announces that Eastern Carolina Women’s Center, PA (ECWC) is joining its family of services. Effective September 1, 2025, the employees and physicians of ECWC will be part of CarolinaEast. CarolinaEast Physicians, providing primary and specialty care for all phases of life from offices in four counties, now includes the newly named CarolinaEast OB/GYN.

The physician practice’s eight providers, Kristi L. English Brown, MD, FACOG, Rolvix H. Patterson, MD, FACOG, Paige Clark, MD, FACOG, Jeremy Belch, MD, MPH, FACOG, Kathleen Montanez, MD, Jennie Gillespie, DO, FACOG, Mandy K. Marshburn, DNP, CNM and Jessica M. Ipock, CNM are now part of CarolinaEast Physicians and will continue to provide OB/GYN services in their current location at 801 McCarthy Boulevard in New Bern. The Havelock location will temporarily pause seeing patients until a later date.

CarolinaEast OB/GYN will continue to serve women of all ages, including general wellness care, surgical intervention, family planning services, obstetrics, and gynecology, but with an added focus on developing a partnership model which supports clinical integration and high-quality, multidisciplinary patient-focused care with a broader reach.

“Eastern Carolina Women’s Center has cared for the women of Craven and surrounding counties for nearly 30 years. By integrating ECWC, CarolinaEast aims to continue supporting women’s health while maintaining the high quality care and enhancing the patient experience,” said Michael Smith, President and CEO of CarolinaEast Health System. “We look forward to working with this incredible group of physicians and staff to build on this valuable service to our community.”

ECWC was formed in 1998 by the merger of two prominent practices; Craven Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pinetree Obstetrics and Gynecology. The practice serves the women of Craven, Jones, and Pamlico counties, as well as other outlying areas, with a

mission of meeting the physical, emotional and educational needs of women in an accessible, confidential, friendly and comfortable setting.

“I look forward to joining with CarolinaEast to become CarolinaEast OB/GYN. We are grateful for our dedicated staff that is truly committed to our patients and this practice, providing a solid foundation for this exciting next step for our team,” said Rolvix Patterson, MD, FACOG. “As providers, we are enthusiastic about new opportunities to deliver state-of-the-art obstetric and gynecologic care to our local and regional communities under the leadership of a nationally ranked health system.”

CarolinaEast Medical Center’s Women’s & Children’s Pavilion, also known as the Labor & Delivery and Postpartum departments, offers quality, award-winning care for mothers delivering babies and recovering after childbirth. They received the Women's Choice Award® for America's Best Hospitals for Obstetrics in 2025 and are a designated Baby-Friendly® Hospital, demonstrating that CarolinaEast is adhering to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

CarolinaEast Physicians began integrating practices in 2009 and CarolinaEast OB/GYN brings physician practice locations operating as part of the Health System to 21. The integration will involve the transition to CarolinaEast’s Epic electronic health record system and all current patients of ECWC are encouraged to create a MyChart account for continuity of care. Visit https://www.carolinaeasthealth.com/patients-and-visitors/patient-portal/ to create an account or learn more.