Reis: Grassroots Efforts to Save OBs

April 18, 2005

Springfield…. A bi-partisan group of lawmakers on Thursday kicked off a new grassroots campaign to engage women in the fight to save Illinois obstetricians. State Representative David Reis (Ste. Marie) was on hand to announce the creation of the Save Our OBs coalition and the launching of the coalition’s new website.

“Obstetricians continue to leave our communities and expectant mothers’ access to care continues to erode,” said Reis. “It is clear that public pressure is going to be needed to move this issue forward and that is the goal of our new coalition.”

Reis said this is a real problem not only in the 108th District and southern Illinois but around the entire state. “We have 9 counties in the 108th District, over 3000 square miles, and only 3 hospitals that deliver babies. One of those has lost obstetricians the past two years. So not only are we losing facilities that deliver babies and provide prenatal health care but we are losing doctors at those facilities. That means it is difficult for mothers to get in to see a doctor in a timely fashion to get the prenatal care they need.”

A resolution was approved in 2004 creating the bi-partisan Illinois Obstetricians Task Force to protect the health of women and their babies by ensuring that there will be obstetricians in our state to provide healthcare services. Because of the special legislative session, that task force met only twice before its legislative authority expired. Unfortunately, efforts to reinstate the task force have failed and the threat to women’s health and that of their unborn babies continues to grow. “Unfortunately, our problem didn’t expire with the task force and a lot of work still needs to be done. With the assistance and support of women and physicians across Illinois we will find a solution,” added Reis.

The coalition takes a two-pronged approach to solving our ob/gyn crisis in Illinois: fact finding and public outreach. Legislative members of the coalition will be asked to survey hospital officials and medical professionals in their district. Women throughout the state will be able to contribute their stories and experiences on the coalition’s new website saveourOBs.com. The websites will also offer surveys for medical students, residents, physicians and patients.

Representative Reis added that the problem is not just access to quality health care but it is also a matter of economic development, companies staying in particular areas that have access to health care and more. “These are the reasons I look forward to sitting on this task force. I want to bring these things to light as to just how critical this issue is,” Reis said.