|
|
 |
|
The
views expressed
on this page are soley those of the author and do not
necessarily
represent the views of County News Online
|
 |
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Ensuring
Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Mothers, and Healthy Babies
Giving our children a healthy start in life begins with healthy
pregnancies.
But far too many areas in Ohio and across the country face a serious
maternity care shortage. In fact, one quarter of Ohio counties lack
access to even one OB-GYN physician. That’s right – 22 Ohio counties
lack regular access to a practicing OB-GYN.
This is unacceptable. Healthy pregnancies lead to healthy babies, and
no mother-to-be should go without the care she needs.
We know the risks to both mothers and children forced to go without
care. Each year more than one million babies are born to mothers who
did not receive adequate prenatal care, and these babies are three
times more likely to be low birth weight and five times more likely to
die as infants. Our state ranks 48th in the nation for overall infant
mortality and worst in the nation for African American infant mortality.
But despite the fact that there are nearly five million women living in
our state, there are only around 1,100 OB-GYNs who practice in Ohio.
Nationwide, less than 50 percent of counties have a practicing OB-GYN,
and many women are forced to drive an hour or more to get the care that
they need. And as any parent knows, good prenatal care means multiple
doctor’s appointments.
That’s why I’m working to pass the Improving Access to Maternity Care
Act, which would help to reduce provider shortages in rural and
underserved areas.
The first step to fixing this problem is identifying the areas where
women are most in need. My bipartisan bill would ensure that the
federal government designates maternity care shortage areas, so we know
where women are in need of doctors.
The second step is providing incentives to practices in these
underserved, often rural areas. The National Health Service Corps
(NHSC) was created in 1972 to fill health provider shortages in
underserved areas. It provides scholarships and loan repayments in
exchange for service in a site NHSC has designated as in need of health
care providers.
My bill would help the NHSC fill the workforce gap in newly-designated
maternity care shortage areas. This will allow us to target maternity
care resources where they’re most needed, and help ensure healthier
pregnancies, healthier mothers, and healthier babies.
No woman should have to drive an hour or more just to get to her
doctor’s appointment. Many expectant mothers work long hours, and not
everyone has easy access to reliable transportation. For women working
minimum wage jobs and women without cars, taking long stretches off of
work, transferring buses, and navigating public transportation just to
get to appointments can become an insurmountable challenge.
We need to make sure every woman in Ohio has access to a qualified
OB-GYN. All parents should be able to give their children the
healthiest possible start in life.
|
|
|
|
