OBGYN Nurse Practitioner Joins Beaufort Memorial in Beaufort and Okatie

Beaufort Memorial is expanding women’s healthcare in the Lowcountry by adding a new nurse practitioner to its OBGYN team.

Lauren Nates, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, IBCLC, is a board-certified nurse practitioner and lactation consultant who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists in Beaufort and Okatie. She specializes in caring for women across their lifespan, including providing prenatal, maternity, postpartum and menopausal care.

“Expanding access to high-quality women’s healthcare is an important part of our commitment to meeting the needs of patients and families across the Lowcountry,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley. “Lauren’s wide-ranging experience supporting women’s health will be a tremendous asset to our patients and to our growing Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists practice.”

At a young age, Nates was encouraged to pursue nursing by her mother, a teacher who thought her science-loving daughter would be a good fit for the career. While in nursing school at Anderson University, she learned how impactful nursing can be for patients and their families. After that, she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

After earning a master’s degree in nursing at the University of South Carolina, she began her nursing career in an emergency department setting. There, caring for a patient who was experiencing an obstetric emergency helped Nates recognize her passion for women’s health.

She transitioned from being an ER nurse to serving patients in labor and delivery, and since then has cared for patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings across South Carolina and Georgia. Passionate about the role of education in nursing, Nates has also served as a clinical instructor at the University of South Carolina and most recently provided prenatal, postpartum and gynecological care at Rural Health Services in Aiken.

“I help patients feel comfortable, informed and empowered during some of their most vulnerable moments,” Nates said, “I offer opportunities for education as well as my recommendations, helping develop collaborative partnerships that support confident, personalized healthcare decisions.”

She also emphasizes the importance of preventive care and provides patients with contraceptive and lactation education. Her varied background and experience in maternity, obstetrics and general OBGYN care will allow her to serve women of all ages at the practice, no matter their stage of life.

Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists provides a full range of women's health services, including comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological care for patients at every stage of womanhood. The practice has two locations in Beaufort (Beaufort Medical Plaza, 989 Ribaut Road, Suite 210) and Okatie (Okatie Medical Pavilion, 122 Okatie Center Blvd. North, Suite 320).

To schedule an appointment with Nates or any of the practice’s providers, call (843) 522-7820.