WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals has added four providers to its women's health team, the health system announced on October 23, 2026. The group includes two obstetricians and gynecologists, Dr. Allan S. Chamberlain and Dr. Brian Bower, along with two physician assistants, Chelsea Agnew and Lorin Belcher, both of whom hold an M.P.A.S. and a P.A.-C. credential and have a background in women's health.
The hires matter for southern West Virginia because they broaden what one hospital system can offer in a single, coordinated setting. According to WVU Medicine, the expanded team supports routine gynecologic care, maternity and newborn services, specialty gynecology, pelvic medicine, minimally invasive surgery, and reproductive medicine, including infertility care. West Virginia's press association carried the same announcement, noting the team serves women throughout the southern part of the state.
The women category covers many conditions that depend on exactly this kind of access, so staffing changes like this one are worth reading closely.
Who is joining, and what do they bring?
Dr. Chamberlain will lead the continued growth and development of the obstetrics department at Thomas Hospitals. His credentials include an M.D. and an M.B.A., and, according to the announcement, he holds the F.A.C.O.G. credential.
Dr. Bower joins with nearly three decades of experience in obstetrics and gynecology. His listed clinical areas are maternity care, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, pelvic health, and reproductive medicine and infertility care. That range is notable: it spans care through pregnancy and surgical treatment for conditions such as pelvic pain and infertility support, all within one department. Readers following this should also see One room, every screening: how a community health expo makes women's care easier to reach. Readers following this should also see One room, every screening: how a community health expo makes women's care easier to reach.
The two physician assistants, Agnew and Belcher, round out the team. According to the announcement, the growing team provides patients with access to experienced physicians and advanced practice providers in a coordinated care environment.
How does this fit the bigger picture at Thomas Hospitals?
The announcement builds on a recent leadership appointment. R. Todd DePond, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., was recently named medical director of women's services at Thomas Hospitals, according to the West Virginia Press Association. In a statement, Dr. DePond said the system is "building a strong, multidisciplinary women's health team" and focused on "making specialized services more accessible to women in our communities."
Greg Rosencrance, M.D., president and CEO of WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals, welcomed the new providers, saying their experience would be "tremendous assets" as the system grows its women's health services.
Read together, the sequence is a deliberate pattern: a medical director for women's services first, then four clinicians added under that leadership. The stated goal is a coordinated care environment where patients can see physicians and advanced practice providers within one team.
What services does the team cover?
Per the announcement, women's health services at WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals are designed to meet healthcare needs across the lifespan. The listed service lines are:
- Routine gynecologic care, including preventive visits
- Maternity and newborn services
- Specialty gynecology
- Pelvic medicine
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Reproductive medicine
Some of these areas connect to conditions readers ask about often. Pelvic medicine, for example, overlaps with concerns such as chronic pelvic pain, and reproductive medicine covers evaluation and care for infertility. The announcement describes the services; it does not detail how individual patients will be matched to them. This connects to our earlier piece, What causes chronic pelvic pain in women.
What this changes for readers
For women in southern West Virginia, the practical change is provider capacity and service breadth at Thomas Hospitals in South Charleston. If you live in the region and have been waiting for a specific service, such as minimally invasive gynecologic surgery or infertility evaluation, the announcement signals those lines are being staffed and developed. A useful question to ask when scheduling is which provider on the team handles the service you need, and what the wait looks like for a first appointment.
One caveat belongs here. This is a health system's own announcement, so it describes intentions and credentials rather than independent evidence of outcomes. The named providers' experience and the service list are the verifiable facts; how the expanded team performs over time is something no announcement can promise.
