Dr. Stuart Shelton, a renowned maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Cape Fear Valley Perinatology, has dedicated more than 20 years to providing exceptional high-risk obstetric care, touching the lives of multiple generations of patients.

Dr. Shelton originally joined Cape Fear Valley Health in 2002 after a military career. With a lot of his patients connected to the military, Dr. Shelton brought a unique perspective from his own background, having served in the Army and worked at Fort Hood and Fort Bragg before settling in Fayetteville.

Dr. Shelton played a pivotal role in establishing the hospital's Perinatology clinic in December 2006. The clinic, located at 2109 Valleygate Dr. in Fayetteville, was a significant milestone, providing local high-risk obstetric care and eliminating the need for patients to travel long distances to Duke or UNC for specialized treatment.

Since establishing the specialized clinic in 2006, Dr. Shelton has been known for his extraordinary commitment to patient care. Colleagues describe him as uniquely compassionate, often providing personal contact information to patients and even taking time to pray for those facing challenging medical situations.

A longtime ultrasound technician who worked closely with Dr. Shelton shared that his approach goes beyond medical expertise. He consistently demonstrates deep care for patients, follows up on their treatments and takes time to educate medical residents through detailed presentations and hands-on training.

His career has been marked by a commitment to excellence, instilled by his parents' teachings of doing everything to the best of one's ability. Perhaps most telling of his character are the personal stories - like donating paid time off to support staff and maintaining long-term relationships with families, sometimes scanning multiple generations of the same family.

“I'm very thankful that the Lord brought me here to Fayetteville. I'm a believer, and so I believe that he's guided my path and all the places I've been to, and I think there was a reason that I came here to Fayetteville. I'm very happy with the folks that I've been able to work with. We've had great staff here and great support from the administration, we've been able to build a practice that didn't exist into a large practice that could serve the community. We've taught a lot of students and residents over the years, so there's a lot of things that I look back on that I'm very happy to have been a part of, but it's not just me. There's been a lot of people involved in this process,” shared Dr. Shelton.

As Dr. Shelton approaches his retirement, the clinic has carefully prepared for his departure. Two new physicians, including one from Fort Bragg with a military background, have been recruited to continue his exceptional standard of care.

Dr. Shelton’s final day in the office was June 26.  He will continue to work remotely for a couple of months during this transitional period to ensure a smooth handover. In his retirement, Dr. Shelton plans to spend more time with his family, particularly his grandchildren.

Dr. Shelton's retirement marks the end of an era, but his impact on maternal-fetal medicine in the region will undoubtedly continue through the physicians he has mentored and the patients he has served.