Dr. Henry Dorn

I am an OBGYN who is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and presently practice in High Point N. C. I have had a long interest in science, and as long as I can remember planned to be a research scientist. After college I decided to move to Washington DC in order to work at National Institutes of Health, and published several papers on the effects of HIV on the brain. Since my chief interest at that time was continuing with biomedical investigation, I was encouraged to pursue a joint MD/PhD degree program, in order to have the widest scope of knowledge to apply to future research. I was very grateful to be one of approximately 50 students in the nation accepted to the prestigious Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) and chose the Medical University of South Carolina. After completing my doctoral coursework and 2 years of additional molecular biology research I began to realize that I needed more direct interaction with patients, and decided to fully pursue clinical medicine. I chose Obstetrics and Gynecology as a specialty, due to its unique combination of both primary care and surgery. I selected a residency program at the Albany Medical Center in N.Y., under the direction of acclaimed Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Dr Daniel Edelstone. The training emphasized addressing the needs of the whole patient and methods of optimizing vaginal birth, as well as advanced laparoscopic and urogynecologic techniques. Additionally, as a resident I was able to work with midwives and see how beneficial that manner of care is to patients. After completing my residency, I joined a practice in High Point that had a freestanding birth center and midwifery practice in order to continue working with midwives. In 2004, I decided to do a fabulous sabbatical in New Zealand where I cared for high risk OB & GYN patients, and collaborated with about 30 midwives who were responsible for well-woman OB care in the region. This experience, working in a system where there is excellent integration between midwives, family practice doctors and OBGYNs, dramatically affected how I practice today, as well as my thoughts about how the US system of care can improve. Upon returning to the US in 2005, I opened my own practice, with the motto: Your Health, Your Birth, Your Choice. This is reflected in the wide variety of options we provide to patients and our willingness to work with those whose desired health care management might fall outside of the community norm. I support homebirth midwives in the region, and in 2006 co-founded the NC Physicians for Midwives, an organization to help patients and midwives find backup physician care. I am a member of ICAN in NC, the International Cesarean Awareness Network, which is chartered to reduce the excessively high US cesarean section rate. I have been blessed to have patients travelled from around the Triad and the state to consult with me about vaginal birth after prior cesarean and have had excellent results at High Point Regional delivering many of these higher-risk patients. My practice also specializes in the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, urinary incontinence and incision-free sterilization. I realized early on the need to move from the hospital to the office minimally invasive gynecological procedures and was the first in North Caroliina to perform the gold-standard Thermachoice endometrial ablation procedure in an office setting, to permanently treat women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Ours was also the first practice in the state to perform the Essure tubal occlusion procedure (permanent birth control) in the office, which allows women to return to normal activities the same day of the procedure. We have since added other endometrial ablation technologies such as Her Option and Novasure, and as a result, perform very few hysterectomies on women for heavy bleeding. Urinary incontinence is another area of focus and I am able to comprehensively evaluate and treat this as well, with office urodynamics and minimally invasive procedures such as TVT available. I am currently very active nationally through online forums and newscasts, promoting more patient centered obstetrical & gynecologic care with reduced interventions and fewer C-sections. My Facebook page is updated regularly with health news & discussions to help the hundreds of followers optimize their health. Outside of work, I spend most of my free time with my 3 wonderful children and my wife Liz, which keeps me very busy indeed.