Posted on Dec 19, 2023
Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/12/18/ [login to see] /can-family-doctors-deliver-rural-america-from-its-maternal-health-crisis
Dr. Zita Magloire carefully adjusted a soft measuring tape across Kenadie Evans' pregnant belly.
Determining a baby's size during a 28-week obstetrical visit is routine. But Magloire, a family physician trained in obstetrics, knows that finding the mother's uterus and, thus, checking the baby, can be tricky for inexperienced doctors.
"Sometimes it's, like, off to the side," Magloire said, showing a visiting medical student how to press down firmly and complete the hands-on exam. She moved her finger slightly to calculate the fetus' height: "There she is, right here."
Evans smiled and later said Magloire made her "comfortable."
Dr. Zita Magloire carefully adjusted a soft measuring tape across Kenadie Evans' pregnant belly.
Determining a baby's size during a 28-week obstetrical visit is routine. But Magloire, a family physician trained in obstetrics, knows that finding the mother's uterus and, thus, checking the baby, can be tricky for inexperienced doctors.
"Sometimes it's, like, off to the side," Magloire said, showing a visiting medical student how to press down firmly and complete the hands-on exam. She moved her finger slightly to calculate the fetus' height: "There she is, right here."
Evans smiled and later said Magloire made her "comfortable."
Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?
Posted from npr.org
Pregnancy
Medical
Health
Posted 5 mo ago
Responses: 4
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My initial thought was they did it for years in rural America. But there are things about modern medicine that have changed that matrix. Still I'd assume they have internet access to consult with experts as needed, so why not.
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I tip my hat to those family medicine docs and nurse midwives that work in the rural areas of this country. The on-call hours will wear you down over time and essentially you can be sued up until the child hits their adult status.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The clinic's six doctors, who are a mix of family medicine practitioners, like Magloire, and obstetrician-gynecologists, pull in patients from the surrounding counties and together deliver nearly 300 babies at the hospital each year.
Deanna Buckins, a 36-year-old mother of four boys, said she was relieved when she found "Dr. Z" because she "completely changed our lives."
"She actually listens to me and accepts my decisions instead of pushing things upon me," said Buckins, as she held her 3-week-old son, whom Magloire had delivered. Years earlier, Magloire helped diagnose one of Buckins' older children with autism and built trust with the family.
"Say I go in with one kid; before we leave, we've talked about every single kid on how they're doing and, you know, getting caught up with life," Buckins said.
Magloire grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and did her residency in rural Kansas. The smallness of Cairo, she said, allows her to see patients as they grow — chatting up the kids when the mothers or siblings come for appointments.
"She's very friendly," Evans said of Magloire. Evans, whose first child was delivered by an OB-GYN, said she was nervous about finding the right doctor. The kind of specialist her doctor was didn't matter as much as being with "someone who cares," she said.
As a primary care doctor, Magloire can care for Evans and her children for years to come.
KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism."
..."The clinic's six doctors, who are a mix of family medicine practitioners, like Magloire, and obstetrician-gynecologists, pull in patients from the surrounding counties and together deliver nearly 300 babies at the hospital each year.
Deanna Buckins, a 36-year-old mother of four boys, said she was relieved when she found "Dr. Z" because she "completely changed our lives."
"She actually listens to me and accepts my decisions instead of pushing things upon me," said Buckins, as she held her 3-week-old son, whom Magloire had delivered. Years earlier, Magloire helped diagnose one of Buckins' older children with autism and built trust with the family.
"Say I go in with one kid; before we leave, we've talked about every single kid on how they're doing and, you know, getting caught up with life," Buckins said.
Magloire grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and did her residency in rural Kansas. The smallness of Cairo, she said, allows her to see patients as they grow — chatting up the kids when the mothers or siblings come for appointments.
"She's very friendly," Evans said of Magloire. Evans, whose first child was delivered by an OB-GYN, said she was nervous about finding the right doctor. The kind of specialist her doctor was didn't matter as much as being with "someone who cares," she said.
As a primary care doctor, Magloire can care for Evans and her children for years to come.
KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism."
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