Severe OB/GYN Shortage Poses Critical Threat To U.S. Maternal Health
Nearly half the counties in the U.S. don’t have an obstetrician/gynecologist and 56 percent are without a nurse midwife. “There are women in California who have to drive hours in order to see an ob-gyn,” said California Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, a Democrat.
Stateline:
A Shortage In The Nation's Maternal Health Care
Faced with a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists and nurse midwives, several states are considering proposals that advocates say would improve health care for women. But with the female population of the United States and number of babies born here projected to increase sharply over the next decade and beyond, scholars and medical organizations say more dramatic changes are needed to ensure that the medical needs of American women are met. (Ollove, 8/15)