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
EXCESSIVELY 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.