Editor’s note: Opinions expressed by Dr. Mazurek are his own.
Dr. Matt Mazurek: Physicians do not practice in a vacuum, and most physicians rely on the availability of referring to specialty services for their patients and practice. Not having access to a specialty service can seriously affect a physician’s willingness to accept a position and may influence a physician to seek a new opportunity where the services are available. In recent years, the number of rural hospitals shuttering OB-GYN services has accelerated — leaving healthcare deserts. The patients still need the care and must travel to the next closest facility for care. Those facilities may lack the capacity or resources for the increase in volume. Call burdens for those physicians may increase, and continuity of care for the patient is disrupted. No one wins when an essential service line like OB-GYN is closed.
Lastly, some physicians return to practice in an area where they were born and raised. Shuttering the service leaves the physician no other option than to leave the area to practice. It is profoundly disruptive, and there is no price tag for the emotional toll on the physician and community.
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