Dr. A. Dawan Gunter and Team Prepare to Welcome New Babies in Southern Wake County

Dr. A. Dawan Gunter has delivered more than 1,500 babies in his career and doesn’t hesitate when asked what he enjoys most about obstetrics.

“Getting to know expectant mothers through prenatal care and following them through delivery, even postpartum, and providing gynecological care after delivery,” said Gunter, medical director of REX OB/GYN at Holly Springs. “I have patients whose daughters I’ve delivered, and now their daughters come to me for gynecological care. That continuum of care is what I value most.”

Gunter has worked at REX OB/GYN since it opened in January 2021.

“Rex hired me to be the lead, and now we’ve gone to three physicians and two midwives and hope to hire another physician in December,” said Gunter, who will direct the new Birth Center at Rex Holly Springs Hospital. “Rex is known as a place for women’s care and obstetrics care, and now the same level of care is available in southern Wake County, with access to the Rex touch.”

Big, open-air rooms with wide corridors, natural light and laboring tubs will grace the Birth Center, and patient rooms will have family spaces with fold-out sofas for fathers.

However, there are opportunities for community members to support a few additional Birth Center needs that will help enhance patient experiences. Nikki Dixon, manager of Rex Holly Springs Hospital’s Women’s and Children’s Department, shared that donations help the Birth Center staff meet the unique needs of their patients and families, like books and educational materials, specialty equipment, and resources including Cuddle Cots to support those who experience infant loss.

Roy Tempke, Jr., Vice President, Clinical Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Rex Holly Springs Hospital, is equally excited about the services that will be offered at the new Birth Center.

“We’re going to have four doctors working in the practice, and we’ve doubled our prediction on how many births we’re expecting for the first year,” Tempke said. “There’s just explosive growth. It’s a brand new, beautiful hospital with every contemporary feature you can imagine, and … we’re bringing UNC Rex’s culture, safety and quality of care to southern Wake County.”

“Dr. Gunter is a very humble, caring and thoughtful individual, and he’s respectful no matter who you are,” Tempke said. “He has just fit right into the organization and quickly become a key member of the practice and also of the Holly Springs Hospital community.

“He understands the business aspect of it, is thoughtful in how he asks questions and is engaged,” Tempke continued. “He’s not just a doctor who sees patients. He understands the practice, cares about the people who work with him and cares about the hospital’s function and how it all connects together, which is really remarkable.”

Jeff Tyndall, regional administrator for physicians’ services, said Gunter provides excellent care for his patients.

“People as far away as Creedmoor and Wakefield come to see him, and that just speaks to who he is and what kind of physician he is for people to travel that far,” Tyndall said. “He’s probably the most approachable physician I’ve been around. He’s a funny guy with a good sense of humor when he needs his humor, and he’s serious when he needs to be. He has a good balance of both.”

Gunter is a native of Wagener, South Carolina, a small town with fewer than 1,000 residents, 30 minutes from Aiken. He attended Clemson University, earned his MBA from UNC and his medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Not surprisingly, he’s a diehard Clemson football fan and Michigan State men’s basketball fan.

He enjoys working outdoors and listening to R&B, country, gospel and classical music. He decided to become a physician at age 15, following an injury and a positive encounter with the doctor who treated him.

“My parents were both working and it took a while for them to get to the hospital,” he said. “The emergency room physician who cared for me was sensitive to my being there alone. He was kind and explained things to me as they happened. He even took the time to tell me what he was looking for on X-ray and how my treatment would proceed.”

Today, Gunter offers that same level of care to his patients. “Dr. Gunter is an absolutely amazing physician with a great bedside manner,” said Tonya Faulkner, director of nursing and clinical operations with Rex Holly Springs Hospital. “His reputation is stellar, and I think that’s evident by how quickly his practice has grown and how he’s been able to recruit rockstar talent.”

Gunter believes in a partnering approach to patient care.

“I firmly believe that patients have the best outcomes when they are empowered in their medical care,” Gunter has said. “Safe treatments and alternatives should always be discussed, and questions answered plainly and frankly. I believe that there is never a bad question. I like to connect with my patients on a personal level. I see them as friends more than acquaintances.”

Gunter has worked in all three health systems in the area.

“I have to say … Rex is the best place in the Triangle that I’ve worked,” he said. “And the new Birth Center is a state-of-the-art facility that was built more to feel like home rather than a clinical space. It has all of the necessary technology and amenities to keep people safe and healthy.”

- Roy Tempke, Vice President, Clinical Operations and Chief Operating Officer