怀俄明州卡斯珀地区的妇产科医疗供应陷入困境。该地区服务的妇产科医生数量已从平均5至6人下降至仅2人，远低于该区域理想需要的9至10名医生[1]。医生Susan Sheridan和Melissa Hieb承受着繁重的值班压力，导致预约严重延误，患者护理质量受到影响[1]。Sheridan医生已在该地区执业19年[1]，但即便如此也无法缓解人手短缺的困境。
更广泛的危机正在蔓延。过去三年，怀俄明州已有4家医院关闭产科病房[1]，全州仅剩16家分娩医院，需要覆盖97000平方英里的地域[1]。全国层面，自2020年以来已有近150家乡村产科单位关闭或宣布关闭[1]，超过35%的美国县被认定为产科护理荒漠[1]。
为缓解困境，Banner Wyoming Medical Center已投入超过300万美元建立夜间产科医生项目[1]。怀俄明州近期从特朗普政府乡村卫生转型基金获得2.05亿美元的支持[1]，医学院项目每年平均招收20名怀俄明州学生[1]，但这些措施能否有效扭转长期短缺的局面仍待观察。
Casper, Wyoming faces a severe shortage of obstetrical and gynecological services as the number of OB-GYNs serving the region has plummeted from five to six physicians to just two [1]. The area ideally should have approximately nine to ten obstetricians to meet demand [1], leaving the two practicing physicians—Susan Sheridan and Melissa Hieb—under intense strain from frequent on-call duties that have resulted in significant appointment delays and compromised patient care [1]. Dr. Sheridan has provided obstetrical services in the region for 19 years [1].
The maternity care crisis extends across Wyoming and rural America broadly. Over the past three years, four hospitals throughout Wyoming have closed their labor and delivery units [1], leaving the state with only 16 facilities capable of delivering babies across 97,000 square miles [1]. Nationally, nearly 150 rural obstetrical units have shut down or announced closures since 2020, and more than 35 percent of American counties are now classified as obstetrical care deserts [1].
Efforts to address the shortage have begun locally and at the state level. Banner Wyoming Medical Center has invested more than three million dollars to establish a nighttime obstetrical physician program [1], while Wyoming recently received 205 million dollars from the Trump administration's Rural Health Transformation Initiative [1]. Additionally, medical school programs currently enroll approximately 20 Wyoming students annually [1].