Finding an obstetrician in northeast Pennsylvania getting tougher all the time according to this article, making it a bit scary to having a baby these days in this part of the country.  BD

Dr. Anthony Milicia has needed to find a new place to deliver his patients' babies three times in the past six years.

"Insurance is the gateway to access," Thall said. "Patients will follow their doctor [to a new hospital], but they have to hope that hospital takes their insurance."

The Northeast Philadelphia obstetrician and gynecologist feels fortunate to have found a new location each time.   "I think they thought it would be easy to go out and find another hospital, but now they are starting to get panicky because there's nothing out there," he said.

Milicia said for now there is still an adequate supply of obstetricians left in Northeast Philadelphia. "Finding [an obstetrician] is not a problem," he said. "The problem is when you can be seen. Some women have to wait two months for a visit. I think what you are going to see is more women coming into hospital emergency rooms unregistered and in labor. The doctor won't know her and she won't know the doctor. It's a scary time to have a baby."

"I view this as a looming public-health crisis," Mankin said. "The problem is virtually no [hospitals] remain in the business of delivering babies in Northeast Philadelphia. It's not possible to be an ob/gyn unless you have a hospital, so the doctors have to move somewhere else.

Closings are hitting the Northeast hardest - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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