Addressing maternity care deserts in Alabama
WBRC 6 News
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '4.640', 'text': 'crisis right now in Alabama impacting'}, {'start': '2.480', 'end': '6.960', 'text': 'families. The March of Dimes considers'}, {'start': '4.640', 'end': '9.440', 'text': '23 counties in our state to be maternity'}, {'start': '6.960', 'end': '11.759', 'text': "care deserts, which means there's no"}, {'start': '9.440', 'end': '13.840', 'text': 'hospital or doctors offering upstetrics'}, {'start': '11.759', 'end': '15.519', 'text': 'care. On your side, investigator Morgan'}, {'start': '13.840', 'end': '16.800', 'text': 'High Totower found a solution to the'}, {'start': '15.519', 'end': '18.880', 'text': 'immediate problem might come from'}, {'start': '16.800', 'end': '20.720', 'text': 'Congress and shares its potential'}, {'start': '18.880', 'end': '23.840', 'text': 'generational impact from one of the'}, {'start': '20.720', 'end': '26.000', 'text': 'remaining rural hospitals in our state.'}, {'start': '23.840', 'end': '28.480', 'text': "There's nothing like holding the baby"}, {'start': '26.000', 'end': '31.519', 'text': 'you carried for 9 months for the first'}, {'start': '28.480', 'end': '34.399', 'text': 'time. The unmatched joy makes the'}, {'start': '31.519', 'end': '37.120', 'text': 'journey worth it, especially for moms'}, {'start': '34.399', 'end': '38.719', 'text': 'like Megan Bonds. Had to know that if I'}, {'start': '37.120', 'end': '40.960', 'text': 'if something happened, it would take at'}, {'start': '38.719', 'end': '42.960', 'text': 'least an hour um to be able to get the'}, {'start': '40.960', 'end': '45.520', 'text': 'care that I needed. An hour to get the'}, {'start': '42.960', 'end': '48.640', 'text': 'care she needs, even though she works'}, {'start': '45.520', 'end': '50.160', 'text': 'here at Hail County Hospital. People are'}, {'start': '48.640', 'end': '51.840', 'text': 'not coming to our hospital with the'}, {'start': '50.160', 'end': '54.320', 'text': 'expectation to be able to deliver and'}, {'start': '51.840', 'end': '56.160', 'text': 'and um to have their care ultimately'}, {'start': '54.320', 'end': '58.239', 'text': "here. They're coming here if they are in"}, {'start': '56.160', 'end': '60.480', 'text': 'a desperate situation.'}, {'start': '58.239', 'end': '61.399', 'text': 'The labor and delivery ward here closed'}, {'start': '60.480', 'end': '64.080', 'text': 'in'}, {'start': '61.399', 'end': '67.280', 'text': '1992. Whitfield Regional Hospital in'}, {'start': '64.080', 'end': '70.159', 'text': 'Demopoulos about 25 miles away and did'}, {'start': '67.280', 'end': '73.840', 'text': 'its program last year. The closest'}, {'start': '70.159', 'end': '76.320', 'text': 'option is now in Tuscaloosa at DCH where'}, {'start': '73.840', 'end': '78.479', 'text': 'Dr. Bonds went through residency and'}, {'start': '76.320', 'end': '80.720', 'text': 'delivered her three children. We saw'}, {'start': '78.479', 'end': '83.520', 'text': 'patients who came from 2 hours or more'}, {'start': '80.720', 'end': '85.920', 'text': 'away who came to deliver. That drive'}, {'start': '83.520', 'end': '88.320', 'text': "isn't a one-time thing. Doctors"}, {'start': '85.920', 'end': '90.159', 'text': 'recommend at least 12 prenatal visits.'}, {'start': '88.320', 'end': '91.759', 'text': "And so if somebody's working or has"}, {'start': '90.159', 'end': '94.159', 'text': 'other responsibilities, other children'}, {'start': '91.759', 'end': '96.079', 'text': "that they have to care for, it's a huge"}, {'start': '94.159', 'end': '98.400', 'text': 'stressor to have to travel that far to'}, {'start': '96.079', 'end': '101.680', 'text': 'get that care. And data suggests moms'}, {'start': '98.400', 'end': '104.400', 'text': "aren't making the trip. Statewide, 25%"}, {'start': '101.680', 'end': '107.759', 'text': "of moms in 2019 had what's considered"}, {'start': '104.400', 'end': '110.320', 'text': "inadequate prenatal care. It's 42% in"}, {'start': '107.759', 'end': '112.880', 'text': 'Hail County, making the OB emergencies'}, {'start': '110.320', 'end': '115.040', 'text': 'that come into the hospital even more'}, {'start': '112.880', 'end': '116.640', 'text': 'critical. They may not even know how far'}, {'start': '115.040', 'end': '118.240', 'text': 'along they are. They may not know what'}, {'start': '116.640', 'end': '119.600', 'text': "health complications they've had if they"}, {'start': '118.240', 'end': '121.840', 'text': "haven't been able to access that"}, {'start': '119.600', 'end': '123.920', 'text': 'prenatal care that they need in order to'}, {'start': '121.840', 'end': '125.600', 'text': 'have a safe and healthy delivery. And'}, {'start': '123.920', 'end': '127.759', 'text': "then we're in the situation where well"}, {'start': '125.600', 'end': '128.959', 'text': "now the baby's here and you know mom is"}, {'start': '127.759', 'end': '131.039', 'text': 'here and who knows what kind of'}, {'start': '128.959', 'end': '132.720', 'text': "complications that's coming along with."}, {'start': '131.039', 'end': '134.400', 'text': "Do you think it's sustainable to have"}, {'start': '132.720', 'end': '136.080', 'text': 'this many maternity care deserts in'}, {'start': '134.400', 'end': '138.560', 'text': 'Alabama? No. And we can see those'}, {'start': '136.080', 'end': '141.360', 'text': 'outcomes. We have um some of the worst'}, {'start': '138.560', 'end': '143.360', 'text': 'ob outcomes unfortunately um in the'}, {'start': '141.360', 'end': '146.000', 'text': "United States. Alabama's maternal and"}, {'start': '143.360', 'end': '148.400', 'text': 'infant death rates consistently exceed'}, {'start': '146.000', 'end': '151.360', 'text': 'the national rates and a state committee'}, {'start': '148.400', 'end': '153.760', 'text': 'determined 62% of pregnancy related'}, {'start': '151.360', 'end': '156.560', 'text': 'deaths reviewed in 2019 were'}, {'start': '153.760', 'end': '159.599', 'text': "preventable. It's 2025. We should be"}, {'start': '156.560', 'end': '162.319', 'text': 'able to to do better to know more and do'}, {'start': '159.599', 'end': '164.720', 'text': 'better. And mothers across not only our'}, {'start': '162.319', 'end': '166.640', 'text': 'state but our country deserve better.'}, {'start': '164.720', 'end': '168.879', 'text': 'Senator Katie Brit is sponsoring a'}, {'start': '166.640', 'end': '171.440', 'text': 'possible solution to this crisis through'}, {'start': '168.879', 'end': '173.440', 'text': 'the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act. It'}, {'start': '171.440', 'end': '175.920', 'text': 'would provide training and equipment to'}, {'start': '173.440', 'end': '177.840', 'text': 'hospitals without an OB unit. This is'}, {'start': '175.920', 'end': '179.760', 'text': 'addressing the immediate need as it'}, {'start': '177.840', 'end': '181.760', 'text': 'exists right now. If we were to have a'}, {'start': '179.760', 'end': '184.000', 'text': 'back at Hail County Hospital, nursing'}, {'start': '181.760', 'end': '185.760', 'text': 'director Marlo Witherspoon lays out'}, {'start': '184.000', 'end': '187.599', 'text': 'their immediate needs. Having the'}, {'start': '185.760', 'end': '189.280', 'text': 'resources to better take care of our'}, {'start': '187.599', 'end': '192.560', 'text': 'patients, not just having the'}, {'start': '189.280', 'end': '194.800', 'text': 'stabilization materials would greatly'}, {'start': '192.560', 'end': '196.640', 'text': "improve. She's been working here for 11"}, {'start': '194.800', 'end': '198.560', 'text': 'years and has helped deliver a handful'}, {'start': '196.640', 'end': '200.560', 'text': 'of babies. We know how to take care of'}, {'start': '198.560', 'end': '203.040', 'text': "these patients and we're capable, but"}, {'start': '200.560', 'end': '205.519', 'text': 'having the expertise at our fingertips'}, {'start': '203.040', 'end': '207.599', 'text': 'using tele medicine or even having'}, {'start': '205.519', 'end': '209.440', 'text': 'people that come in and do a specialized'}, {'start': '207.599', 'end': '212.159', 'text': 'course for us would would help help'}, {'start': '209.440', 'end': '214.560', 'text': 'improve confidence in emergencies when'}, {'start': '212.159', 'end': '216.640', 'text': "every second counts. If we're going to"}, {'start': '214.560', 'end': '218.239', 'text': 'be that first stop in that first hour,'}, {'start': '216.640', 'end': '220.000', 'text': 'any kind of resources that we can have'}, {'start': '218.239', 'end': '221.680', 'text': 'to improve that care for those patients'}, {'start': '220.000', 'end': '223.680', 'text': 'will be a matter of life and death for'}, {'start': '221.680', 'end': '228.560', 'text': 'them in Hail County. Morgan High'}, {'start': '223.680', 'end': '228.560', 'text': 'Totower, WBRC 6 News on your'}]