Auburn Nursing, East Alabama Health open new prenatal clinic in Valley
Auburn University’s College of Nursing is partnering with East Alabama Health to expand access to prenatal care in east Alabama with the opening of the East Alabama Community Prenatal Clinic.
The clinic officially opened Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, at the EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital campus in Valley and will serve pregnant women in Chambers County and surrounding communities.
The clinic is operated jointly by the Auburn University College of Nursing and East Alabama Health. It will be open Tuesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
Patients will receive care from Claire Thompson, a certified women’s health nurse practitioner and associate clinical professor with Auburn University’s College of Nursing. Thompson has experience in neonatal intensive care, high-risk pregnancies, maternal-fetal medicine and general women’s health.
The clinic will provide prenatal checkups, urgent treatment, pregnancy care coordination and general care between regularly scheduled OB/GYN appointments. Services will also include pregnancy testing, vaccinations and treatment for urinary tract infections.
Auburn officials say the clinic is intended to reduce barriers to prenatal care for women living in rural communities, where travel to an obstetrician can make consistent care more difficult.
“Auburn, we believe our mission to advance health and healthcare extends far beyond the walls of the university,” said Amy Pridemore, assistant clinical professor and coordinator of clinics for the Auburn University College of Nursing. “Opening this prenatal clinic is a meaningful way for us to live out that mission by bringing compassionate, high-quality care directly to women and families in rural Alabama.”
Pridemore said the clinic represents an effort to make prenatal care more accessible regardless of where patients live.
Thompson said regular prenatal care is an important part of improving maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly in rural communities.
“This clinic will help remove barriers to care by bringing essential prenatal services closer to patients and families, ensuring women have the support, education, and healthcare resources they need throughout pregnancy and beyond,” Thompson said.
Greg Nichols, administrator of EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital, said expanding access to prenatal care benefits the broader community.
“When we ensure every expectant mother has access to quality prenatal care regardless of where she lives, we are not just protecting one person—we are safeguarding the health of our entire community’s future,” Nichols said.
The East Alabama Community Prenatal Clinic is part of an effort by Auburn Nursing and East Alabama Health to bring additional healthcare resources closer to residents in rural east Alabama.
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