Oaklawn welcomes new OB/GYN physician

Science background drew Oaklawn’s new OB/GYN physician to medical career 

MARSHALL – It may have been inevitable that Shelley Sue Binkley would follow her parents’ footsteps into some branch of the sciences. As it turned out, she chose medicine, and now she is closing in on three decades of service as a OB/GYN physician.

“My mother was an endocrinologist and taught endocrinology at Temple University, and my father developed the computer graphics program for the School of Visual Arts in New York City,”  she said. “I’ve always been interested in science and interacting with people, and I found that women’s health care was a great way to bring those together.”

Binkley, who is joining Oaklawn as of mid-January, will be seeing patients out of the Oaklawn Medical Group’s Marshall Primary Care office in Suite 1E of the Wright Medical Building, 215 E. Michigan Ave. Appointments there may be made by calling (269) 781-3938.

She was born in Boulder, Colo., and grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pa., where easy access to the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education helped further stimulate her interest in biology.

“From as early as I can remember, I was fascinated by biology and nature, and we would go to the nature center all the time,” she said. “They would have treasure hunts with clues, and you’d go from one thing to the next. My mother and I would go out and observe tadpoles in streams.”

Her interest in the natural life cycle – from birth to death – ultimately led to a desire to help other women through all aspects of life.

“Reproductive health care is a huge part of women’s health, and that’s what drew me to OB/GYN,” she said.

Binkley received her bachelor of arts degree in biology with distinction in 1988 from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and her medical degree with honors in 1992 from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She served her internship and residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.

Since that time, Binkley has served in a variety of medical capacities for health-care organizations in rural and urban settings.

For the past four years, Binkley has held directorship positions for the Beaumont Health Oakwood Campus in Dearborn, focusing on labor and delivery as well as the health system’s OB/GYN residency program.

She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a member of the Michigan State Medical Society and is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She is licensed to practice medicine in Michigan, Utah and Colorado.

Binkley said she is eager to join Oaklawn because of the hospital’s reputation for patient satisfaction and safety. She added that she is looking forward to maintaining and expanding Oaklawn’s status as a regional leader in obstetric and gynecologic medicine.

“I’m really big on patient safety,” she said. “It is one of my major concerns.” As Beaumont’s medical director for labor and delivery, she implemented a nationally developed obstetric hemorrhage program aimed at reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

Binkley has two adult children – a son, Connor, 22, who is working on degrees in Chinese and the music business at the University of Northern Colorado, and a daughter, Laurel, 18, who is working on a dual degree in music and international relations at the University of Michigan.

Binkley’s hobbies include running, hiking, biking, canoeing, camping, as well as orienteering and adventure races. She is in the process of setting up a new home in Marshall with her fiance, Glenn Rumery, a computer engineer and purchasing professional.

“We ride our mountain bikes all over Michigan, so I was generally familiar with the Marshall area but not specifically with the town,” she said. “After visiting and getting better acquainted, it seems to me to be a very nice community with very friendly people, an interesting history and many local attractions and events. I look forward to serving the community.”