Dr. Eleanor Easley
Dr. Richard Pearse
Dr. Eleanor Easley and Dr. Richard Pearse founded Durham Women’s Clinic in 1941. Dr. Easley was the first woman in history to receive a four-year medical degree from Duke University. While many men were overseas after being drafted for the war, Dr. Easley cared for the vast number of women still needing medical attention and expertise. She was a shrewd businesswoman and leader, and overcame great obstacles to not only establish our practice, but to pioneer many changes with regards to obstetrics, gynecology, and medicine in general.
Durham Women’s Clinic also made history when Dr. Easley hired Nancy Carreras, a trained certified nurse midwife, and became the first medical practice in the state of North Carolina to have in-house midwifery services. Carreras and Dr. Pearce established a relationship with Yale University’s School of Nurse Midwifery to provide an internship program for nurse midwives here at Durham Women’s Clinic.
Since 1941, our patients have been traveling from distances as far as Virginia to have their obstetric and gynecological care at Durham Women’s Clinic because of our unique approach to care and the excellent reputations of our providers and staff.
Today our providers build on this history and continue to provide the same excellent care that was established in 1941. It is this high standard of care that keeps our patients coming back generation after generation.