Advanced OB/GYN Associates and Butler Health System are parting ways.

According to a letter sent to patients dated Feb. 4, Advanced OB/GYN associates will stop providing obstetrical services at Butler Memorial Hospital. The practice said it will perform labor and delivery services at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh effective March 1. Gynecological services will be transitioned to UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh, UPMC Passavant-Cranberry in Cranberry Township, and UPMC Passavant in Pittsburgh. UPMC recently acquired Advanced OB/GYN after partnering with Butler Health System to jointly purchase Advanced OB/GYN in July 2017.

Gynecological and obstetrics care will continue to be provided at Advanced OB/GYN Associates' offices at 901 E. Brady St. in Butler and 2001 Ehrman Road in Cranberry Township.

Butler Health System will continue providing OB/GYN and delivery services through BHS Women's Care Associates, which has offices at the health system's Crossroads Campus and in Saxonburg, New Castle and Seven Fields. “Advanced is now fully with UPMC and they're pushing the deliveries to Magee,” said Jana Panther, Butler Health System director of public relations and marketing. “We are certainly still robust and still have a lot to offer women in the community.”

The health system maternity center provides (modern, advanced, evolved, enlightened) services, such as breastfeeding education, allowing mothers and babies to stay together in the hospital, prenatal education, basic parenting education and Lamaze classes, Panther said.

“We're doing a lot of progressive things in our delivery room. Our maternity staff is awesome,” she said.

The health system operated with two OB/GYN groups for many years and losing one will not impede services, said Dr. Elliot Smith, health system chief clinical officer. “There will be no interruption in services for women in our community in any way shape or form,” Smith said. “We have a full range of women's health services. Nothing is changing.” He said the maternity department has three midwives and is adding to its roster of three physicians. A new physician is starting in March and another is starting this summer, he said.