Sponsored by Cape Fear Valley Health.
When Elizabeth Sawyer, M.D., transitioned from the U.S. Army to private practice, she had two clear goals: she didn’t want to work for a hospital, and she didn’t want to teach residents.
But just a year and a half into her dream role, everything changed. Her clinic became Cape Fear Valley General Surgery – Village Surgical, and with that shift, so did her perspective.
Now, Dr. Sawyer embraces both opportunities — thriving as part of a collaborative hospital team and finding fulfillment in mentoring the next generation of surgeons.
“I have found tremendous support and infrastructure from the health system and have been able to build the breast program to the degree it is now,” Dr. Sawyer said. “We have grown the program by 40 percent. It’s been a tremendous value to be a part of the network.”
Her clinic was acquired by Cape Fear Valley Health in an effort to increase patient access to specialized services and expand into rural, underserved areas.
Mark Cobb, president of Cape Fear Valley Medical Group, said that, within the health system, there are more than 90 primary and specialty care clinics in Cumberland County and the seven surrounding counties, including Moore, Hoke, Harnett, Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Sampson.
“In 2020, we had 34 clinics in the network, and we currently have 93,” Cobb said. “Within the next year, we expect to reach the 100 mark. We are working diligently to make this happen.”
Foot & Ankle Specialists Credit: Christina Martin
Mark Eaton, M.D., with Cape Fear Valley Podiatry – Foot and Ankle Specialists – Fayetteville, said their clinic was the largest that was brought into the medical group, and the growth has been a tremendous benefit to the clinic and the community.
“We wanted to improve our practice and expand so we looked at it as a partnership,” Dr. Eaton said. “In the six years we have been a part of the health system, we have doubled our patients seen from 33,000 to 65,000 per year and gone from seven physicians to 16.”
Dr. Eaton said it makes them the largest hospital-based podiatry clinic in the United States. With the backing of the health system, the podiatry group was also able to create the first Podiatry Resident Clinic in the country, where resident doctors treat patients under the guidance of an experienced podiatrist.
“Being a part of this system allows us to expand our services within our seven locations, which allows more access for our patients,” Dr. Eaton said. “It gives our patients access to specialty doctors and care.”
It is also a benefit to the community doctors, some of whom might be aging or want to see their operations become more efficient.
It is also another reason that Dr. Eaton said their practice is now gladly part of the network.
“We wanted to create a legacy and continue to guide training for younger doctors,” Dr. Eaton said. “It’s another way to give back to the community for us.”
“When a clinic becomes part of Cape Fear Valley Health, it allows doctors to just be doctors,” Cobb said. “They can practice medicine without worrying about the business operations part of it. Being part of a larger network means they don’t have to deal with staffing issues or supply embargoes.”
He said it helps save smaller clinics in private practice from operational issues and challenges that can significantly impact patient care, including shortages and delays.
Cobb said the main driver of acquiring more clinics is the patient and their access to care. It also helps financial stewardship across the board between the hospital, clinics and those needing the care.
Another benefit is the ability to more easily transfer information from the clinic to the hospital, following the patients wherever they go within the health system.
“It’s a much easier path to travel,” Cobb said. “Patients have one medical record, and that record is shared among Cape Fear Valley Health, accessible by providers at any time.”
Johnnie Moultrie, M.D., who is with Hope Mills Family Care, recognizes this benefit daily with his patients.
“There are so many different specialties that our patients can get in to see if they need something specific, like interventional radiology or women’s health,” Dr. Moultrie said. “We can expedite referrals, and it makes our healthcare system very efficient.”
With specialties ranging from primary care and orthopedics to neurosurgery and pulmonary medicine, Cape Fear Valley Health is growing and will be adding even more specialists to the network in the next year.
For more information on how Cape Fear Valley clinics are ready to serve your healthcare needs, visit capefearvalley.com.
Read CityView Magazine’s “The Downtown Issue” June 2025 e-edition here.
