% MEMBERS DEAL AND BETTER
% UNDERSTAND THE ADDICTION.
% >> TURNING TO HEALTHCARE, A
% NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF OB-GYN
% WILL FORCE SOME PREGNANT WOMEN
% IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN TO TRAVEL
% EVEN FARTHER TO GIVE BIRTH.
% EARLIER THIS WEEK MAYO CLINIC
% ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD NO LONGER
% PROVIDE DELIVERY SERVICES IN
% THEIR FACILITY IN BARRON DOUNT
% COUNTY AND SHUT DOWN MENOMONIE
% AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
% PATIENTS HAVE TO TRAVEL TO EAU
% CLAIRE TO GIVE BIRTH.
% AMY DOMEYER IS A PRACTICING
% OB-GYN.
% THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> IN THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT MAYO
% CLINIC SAID THEY SPENT TWO
% YEARS AGGRESSIVELY RECRUITING
% FOR SEVERAL OPEN POSITIONS.
% HOW BAD IS THE SHORTAGE?
% >> SO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT
% ACCESS TO OB-GYN CARE IN RURAL
% COUNTIES IS DECLINING.
% AND PART OF THAT IS WITH SOME
% OF THESE HOSPITAL SHORTAGES AND
% SHUTTERING OF OB UNITS.
% LESS THAN HALF OF RURAL WOMEN
% LIVE WITHIN A 30-MINUTE DRIVE
% TO THE NEAREST HOSPITAL.
% SO THAT CAN LEAD TO REALLY
% SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES IN CARE
% AND THEN REALLY SIGNIFICANT
% CHANGES IN TERMS OF OUTCOMES AS
% PEOPLE AREN'T ALWAYS ABLE TO
% ACCESS A DOCTOR EARLY ENOUGH IN
% THEIR PRENATAL CARE OR A BIRTH
% CENTER IN A TIMELY FASHION WHEN
% IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO DELIVER
% THEIR BABY.
% >> WHAT'S LEADING TO THE
% SHORTAGE?
% ARE THERE JUST NOT ENOUGH
% OB-GYNS PERIOD, NOT BEING
% OFFERED ENOUGH IN PAY TO LIVE
% IN A RURAL AREA?
% >> THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT
% ARE INVOLVED IN THE SHORTAGE OF
% OB-GYNS.
% IT IS CHALLENGING IN THAT
% MATERNITY CARE IS UNDERVALUED
% COMPARED TO OTHER HEALTH
% SERVICES AND IT CAN IMPACT
% DECISIONS FOR PEOPLE GOING INTO
% OB-GYN AND HOSPITALS CONTINUING
% OB-GYN SERVICES BECAUSE IT DOES
% REQUIRE A COMPLEX TEAM OF
% SYSTEM OF FOLKS TO INSURE WE'RE
% PROVIDING SAFE ACCESS TO CARE.
% I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW,
% CERTAINLY THERE ARE INCENTIVES
% FOR FOLKS TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE
% TO THESE RURAL AREAS AND I
% THINK THE INSTITUTIONS IN
% WISCONSIN ARE -- HAVE AN EYE TO
% THAT.
% SPECIFICALLY THE UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN HAS A RURAL TRACK FOR
% THEIR OB-GYN RESIDENTS, ONE OF
% THOSE UNIQUE THINGS IN THE
% COUNTRY.%SO -- BUT I THINK WE
'RE FEELING
% IN GENERAL HEALTHCARE SHORTAGE
% WITH RESPECT TO A LOT OF THE
% THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING MORE
% RECENTLY WITH THE COVID
% PANDEMIC, WITH RECENT
% LEGISLATIVE INTERFERENCE INTO
% OB-GYN PRACTICE THAT ARE
% FURTHER EXACERBATING SOME OF
% THE CHALLENGES THAT LIKELY MAYO
% HAS BEEN SEEING FOR A WHILE.
% >> YOU TALKED ABOUT LEGISLATIVE
% INTERFERENCE.%WHAT ABOUT THE
SUPREME COURT
% DECISION TO OVERTURN ROE V.
% WADE.
% HOW HAS THAT AFFECTED YOUR
% INDUSTRY?
% >> YEAH.
% I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL I THINK
% THIS IS UNIQUE IN TERMS OF
% RIGHT NOW IN WISCONSIN THERE IS
% SOME DEBATE OVER WHICH LAW CAN
% BE ENFORCED OR WHICH LAW IS THE
% LAW OF THE LAND WITH RESPECT TO
% ABORTION CARE.
% BUT BECAUSE OF AN 1849 LAW THAT
% WOULD BAN ABORTION CARE, THAT
% WOULD MAKE PEOPLE WHO ARE
% PRACTICING OB-GYN CARE, IF THEY
% NEEDED TO PROVIDE ABORTION
% SERVICES, A FELON AND SO YOU
% CAN KIND OF SEE THAT IF A
% SPECIALTY HAS -- IS FACED WITH
% A LAW THAT COULD POTENTIALLY
% MAKE THEM A FELON, HOW THAT
% WOULD BE SCARY FOR SOMEONE WHO
% MAYBE WANTS TO COME TO
% WISCONSIN TO PRACTICE OB-GYN OR
% PROVIDES ABORTION AS PART OF
% THEIR PRACTICE MIGHT NOT BE
% INTERESTED IN COMING HERE, AS
% WELL AS RECRUITING STUDENTS AND
% RESIDENTS TO JOIN OUR FIELD.
% I DON'T KNOW OF OTHER
% SPECIALTIES THAT ARE FACED WITH
% SUCH CRIMINAL PENALTIES, SO
% OBVIOUSLY AS THIS SITUATION IN
% OUR STATE AND IN OTHERS ACROSS
% THE COUNTRY SINCE THAT DECISION
% WAS MADE.
% >> THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STORIES
% NATIONALLY EVEN FROM WISCONSIN,
% HORROR STORIES OF WOMEN WHO
% NEEDED TO DECLINE IN HEALTH
% MORE TO MEET THE EXCEPTION FOR
% THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.
% WHAT KIND OF SITUATIONS ARE YOU
% SEEING IN TERMS OF WHAT
% QUALIFIES FOR A WOMAN'S HEALTH
% AND HOW MUCH LEGISLATIVE
% CLARITY DO WE NEED ON THIS
% ISSUE?
% >> YEAH.
% THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER
% EXCEPTION IS VERY, VERY BROAD.
% I GUESS I SHOULD SAY IT'S NOT
% THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER BUT
% THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER
% EXCEPTION IS VERY BROAD.
% WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT
% MEANS FROM A CRIMINAL
% STANDPOINT BECAUSE THESE CASES
% HAVE NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS
% LAW HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED IN A
% VERY LONG TIME.
% SO, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL
% PHYSICIAN GROUPS ARE COMING
% TOGETHER TO TRY TO COME
% TOGETHER AND BUILD A CONSENSUS
% WHAT THEY THINK THAT MEANS.
% THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE
% DIFFERENT PHYSICIANS MAY BE
% COMFORTABLE WITH A DIFFERENT
% LEVEL OF RISK AND THAT THEN
% LEADS TO DIFFERENCES IN TERMS
% OF PATIENT CARE.
% SO CERTAINLY THINGS LIKE
% HEMORRHAGE, BLEEDING %EXCESS
IVELY WOULD BE ONE OF
% THOSE THINGS.
% PROBLEMS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY
% HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
% ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT COULD
% WARRANT THOSE SERVICES.
% DOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC AND
% LAWYERS, LAWYERS FOR HOSPITAL
% SYSTEMS ARE ASKING HOW SICK IS
% SICK ENOUGH?
% AND FACING THOSE SORTS OF LEGAL
% CHALLENGES, THE IDEA THAT ONE
% COULD BE A FELON WHO IS JUST
% TRYING TO DO THEIR JOB, AND
% TAKE CARE -- THE BEST CARE THEY
% CAN OF THE PATIENT IN FRONT OF
% THEM.
% THAT CAN BE SCARY FOR FOLKS
% EITHER ENTERING THE FIELD OR
% ENTERING WISCONSIN.
% >> DR. AMY DOMEYER.