Rep. Kathy L. Rapp, who serves as the Republican chair of the House Health Committee in Pennsylvania, has called for the expedited release of federal funding to address a growing shortage of maternity care services in rural parts of the state.
This appeal follows an announcement from Warren General Hospital (WGH) that it will soon stop offering inpatient labor and delivery services due to a shortage of Obstetrician/Gynecologists (OB/GYNs). As a result, expectant mothers in the area will need to travel to alternative hospitals located 20, 62, and 67 miles away from WGH. The closure contributes to what officials are describing as an expanding “maternity care desert” across northwestern and northcentral Pennsylvania.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently awarded nearly $200 million to Pennsylvania through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Rapp, along with other legislators, urged Dr. Oz—who serves as administrator for CMS—to release these funds promptly so they can be used to address urgent healthcare needs.
“The influx of this federal funding is urgently needed to address the situation described above as we continue to work with our fellow legislators to effectuate accompanying policies at the state level,” Rapp said. “We recognize that direct funding to the states alone is not going to solve the nationwide shortage of health-care professionals. Federal programs, such as the Conrad 30 program, are often used by international medical graduates to pursue medical residency or fellowship training in the United States need to be re-examined.
“The Conrad 30 program allows international medical graduates, who hold a J-l visa, to apply for a waiver of the two-year residence requirement in their last year of training. In return, the physician must practice a total of three years in an approved Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area (MUA) in Pennsylvania. Currently, each state is allowed to sponsor up to 30 physicians each year. For a state the size of Pennsylvania, and given the need for more physicians, 30 physicians do not go far enough to address some of the shortages facing the Commonwealth. Further, legislative action to increase the number of residency slots across the country needs to occur.”
