Join SafeCirc® in improving outcomes through proven, minimally invasive AccuCirc® technology, circumcision training, and trusted provider partnerships.
Partnering with providers to advance circumcision care
Designed for collaboration across medical disciplines
SafeCirc® serves as a specialized resource for birth care providers across Rhode Island and beyond, offering comprehensive provider partnerships, clinical resources, and circumcision referrals for your patients. Whether you're an OB/GYN, pediatrician, family physician, pediatric urologist, midwife, doula, or lactation consultant, we're here to support your patients with expert newborn circumcision care.
We’re honored to work with OB/GYNs, pediatricians, family physicians, and surgical specialists
Our 2019 survey of Rhode Island OB/GYN providers revealed that 40% who perform newborn male circumcision would prefer to refer this procedure to a specialist who provides comprehensive newborn care and follow-up. SafeCirc® was created to meet this need — offering your patients access to specialized expertise and streamlined circumcision referrals while allowing you to focus on your core practice areas.
We collaborate with:
OB/GYN providers who want reliable referral options for families seeking outpatient circumcision or specialized care for anatomical variations, or who decline prophylactic Vitamin K.
Pediatricians and family physicians who prefer to partner with a circumcision specialist rather than perform the procedure themselves.
Midwives and doulas who serve families seeking alternatives to hospital-based circumcision, including those who choose to decline the Vitamin K injection, or desire a home birth.
Lactation consultants supporting families who want to establish breastfeeding before scheduling the procedure.
Surgical specialists who need a trusted colleague for newborn circumcision cases outside their scope of practice.
Seamless collaboration: referrals, follow-ups, and shared outcomes
At SafeCirc®, we view provider relationships as true partnerships. When you refer a family to our Center of Excellence, you can trust that they'll receive exceptional care — and that you'll remain informed about your patient’s care every step of the way.
Referrals
Making circumcision referrals to SafeCirc® is straightforward. We accept referrals from all birth care providers and work directly with families to schedule consultations and procedures at their convenience — anytime within the first 28 days of life.
Our outpatient model allows families time to bond, recover from birth, and establish breastfeeding before scheduling their procedure.
This flexibility is especially valuable for families with specific medical, cultural, or religious considerations, making SafeCirc® an ideal partner for provider partnerships that prioritize patient-centered care.
Follow-ups
Unlike traditional hospital circumcision, where follow-up care is often fragmented or nonexistent, SafeCirc® provides comprehensive post-procedure support with a 100% follow-up rate. Every family receives:
24-hour on-call physician access
Detailed wound care instructions and education
Scheduled follow-up appointments to monitor healing
Direct communication with referring providers (with patient consent)
With patient permission, we send post-procedure outcomes and healing updates to referring providers, ensuring coordinated care and transparency throughout the recovery process.
With patient permission, we send post-procedure outcomes and healing updates to referring providers, ensuring coordinated care and transparency throughout the recovery process.
Refer a patient to SafeCirc® →
Shared outcomes
We believe accountability drives excellence. That's why we maintain detailed outcome data and share results with the providers who trust us with their patients.
Our Minimally Invasive AccuCirc® technology has demonstrated superior safety and efficacy in published clinical trials.
By referring to SafeCirc®, you're connecting your patients to evidence-based care backed by 20+ years of clinical experience, World Health Organization endorsement, and a proven track record of preventing the device-related injuries associated with traditional circumcision methods.
SafeCirc® is committed to advancing the standard of care for newborn circumcision through education, innovation, and provider partnerships. Our comprehensive circumcision training programs and clinical resources are designed to support healthcare professionals in delivering the highest quality care.
Dr. David Tomlinson has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, and Gates Foundation, developing circumcision training programs that have improved care across the United States and internationally.
Educational tools and clinical resources for providers
Resources available to referring providers include:
Patient education materials about the AccuCirc® method and post-procedure care
Clinical resources, including research data and safety protocols
Consultation on complex cases or anatomical variations
Circumcision training presentations and seminars for birth care organizations and prenatal education programs
Support for establishing provider partnerships and streamlining circumcision referrals
SafeCirc® has collaborated with organizations including Well Nested RI, Doulas of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Birth Worker Co-op, and Doulas Conectadas RI to ensure families across our community have access to accurate information about circumcision options.
Whether you're looking for a trusted circumcision referral, are interested in learning more about AccuCirc® for providers, or hoping to collaborate on patient education initiatives, we're here to support you.
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Dr. Tomlinson is an MIT-trained Mechanical Engineer and US Navy-trained Family Physician who has spent the last 20 years working to improve newborn male circumcision care. While stationed in Newport, RI, Dr. Tomlinson developed an improved Gomco clamp that prevents mismatched device parts.
When the World Health Organization concluded that circumcision prevents heterosexual transmission of HIV in 2007, they also asked for a safer device that could be used in resource-limited areas. Dr. Tomlinson assembled a team of experts from around the World, including Dr. Anthony Caldamone, a leading Pediatric Urologist, to solve this problem. The result of this effort is the Minimally Invasive AccuCirc® device and now the SafeCirc®Center of Excellence. Dr. Tomlinson (with the help of an international team) also wrote the surgical chapters for the WHO Manual on Early Infant Male Circumcision.
Dr. Tomlinson is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and has been a consultant to the WHO, NIH, and Gates Foundation, and has developed newborn male circumcision training programs in Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Kenya. Dr. Tomlinson has been a staff physician at South County Hospital since 2007 and was named Physician of the Year and awarded the degree of Fellow from the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2015.
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PROFESSIONAL LICENSES
Practice of Medicine: Rhode Island: September 2004 - Present
CERTIFICATION
American Board of Family Medicine: July 14, 2000 - Present
Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians: 2015 - Present
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Brown Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI: January 2013 - Present
HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS
Staff Physician, Department of Medicine, South County Hospital: September 2004 – Present
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
World Health Organization (WHO) member of the expert review committee on neonatal circumcision: October 2009
Staff Physician United States Navy: 1997 - 2005
HOSPITAL COMMITTEES
Risk Management Committee, South County Hospital, November 2011 – 2021
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
University of Rhode Island Biomedical Engineering Program Advisory Board:
November 20, 2011 - 2013
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
American Academy of Family Physicians, Fellow: July 2000 to Present
International AIDS Society: August 2007 to Present
MILITARY SERVICE
Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy, May 24, 1997 – January 25, 2005
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The Minimally Invasive AccuCirc® sets a new standard in male circumcision with its foreskin holder. This FDA-cleared, revolutionary improvement ensures precise tissue alignment by applying gentle pressure to hold the foreskin in place. By aligning the foreskin accurately before incision, providers reduce the risk of tissue discrepancies. To fully understand the device please see our animated videos here.
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Yes, extensively. The first clinical trial was conducted at Hasbro Children’s Hospital under the direction of Dr. Anthony Caldamone. Because of the importance of male circumcision in preventing HIV, the NIH and Gates Foundation sponsored two randomized controlled trials and two large field trials. These studies led to several publications, FDA clearance, and WHO prequalification. Please see the section on the history of the AccuCirc® for detailed references here.
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Pediatric urologists have been advocating the use of a surgical pen to mark the site of the incision to avoid errors in removing too much or too little tissue. In 1983, George Kaplan published a comprehensive review of the complications of newborn male circumcision and made the following recommendation: “Prevention of these errors is best achieved by marking the site of the corona on the skin surface prior to any incision.”
The use of a surgical pen is mandatory in our clinic!
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Thermal cautery emerges as a superior option for achieving effective hemostasis while minimizing complications compared to using a traditional scalpel. Our practice exclusively utilizes thermal cautery recognized for it’s safety and efficacy in newborn male circumcision procedures.
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Pediatric urologists have been using tissue adhesive for infant male circumcision for many years. One of the more common complications of newborn male circumcision is adhesion formation. Tissue adhesive helps seal and protect the wound and promotes proper healing. Tissue adhesive also helps reduce bleeding and makes caring for the wound easier for the parents/caregivers.
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Dr. Tomlinson felt the same way, but during the Iraq War when many Navy providers were deployed and the few that remained were woefully understaffed, he was performing a circumcision after a night on call on the labor deck when he could not get a 1.3 cm shield to fit in his newborn patient. In the middle of the procedure, he asked the nurse to get a 1.1 cm device and easily placed a 1.1 cm shield, but then had two clamps of different sizes on the field. He chose the 1.3 cm clamp (the wrong one), the bell/shield fit in the yolk, the mistake was hidden by the foreskin, the nut tightened against the base plate, further creating the illusion that everything was OK. The small shield passed through the larger hole, no crush was made, and there was no protection for the glans. Thankfully, this patient was not injured, but this is how these complications occur despite the best efforts of the provider.
The Minimally Invasive AccuCirc® is an engineering solution to this problem. The device itself is engineered to prevent mismatched device parts, no matter what, protecting the provider and patient from this mistake and resulting injury.
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Over the past 15 years, Dr. Tomlinson has served as an expert witness in 20 medical malpractice cases, all related to Mogen clamps and distal tip penile amputations. Witnessing the profound impact of this complication on patients, families, healthcare facilities, and providers, he emphasizes its devastating nature. Regardless of the provider's experience level, this injury can occur, with even higher incidence rates noted outside the US. This devastating complication, which only occurs with this specific circumcision device called a Mogen clamp, occurs and is reported every year in the US by the FDA. We will never use this clamp in our center. Ensuring newborn safety, the SafeCirc® Center of Excellence offers parents and caregivers a safer alternative.
References to Mogen Clamp injuries:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34486279/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8657537/
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=17333882&pc=HFX
Credentials and FAQs
What providers are saying
Let's work together to provide safer circumcision care
SafeCirc® welcomes provider partnerships with birth care professionals who share our commitment to patient safety and clinical excellence.
Fill out the form below to refer a patient to SafeCirc® and join our provider network.