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The Philadelphia Obstetrics Crisis: Etiology, Implications, and Solutions For Maintaining Quality Obstetric Care and The Viability of Academic Medicine
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http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3186
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| Title: | The Philadelphia Obstetrics Crisis: Etiology, Implications, and Solutions For Maintaining Quality Obstetric Care and The Viability of Academic Medicine |
| Authors: | Croft, Damien J |
| Keywords: | Obstetrics
Philadelphia
Public Health |
| Issue Date: | 12-Feb-2010 |
| Abstract: | The Philadelphia area has been the site of an unprecedented number of maternity
unit closures over the past 15 years. Staring with the closure of the maternity floor at
Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital in 1997 and culminating this summer with the
closure of Northeastern Hospital planned for June 2009, a total of 16 providers of
obstetrical care will have been eliminated. This has lead to nearly a 35 percent decrease
in the number of staffed maternity beds in the city. The reasons postulated have been
identified as a combination of high malpractice and low reimbursement. Thus far all of
the 15 closures have been community hospitals in the area, many of which have provided
obstetrical care to the city of Philadelphia for the last 50-100 years. In contrast, the six
remaining providers of maternity care in the city of Philadelphia are all academic medical
centers. The strengths, weaknesses and missions of community versus academic medical
facilities play a significant role in this outcome. The questions to be examined in this
paper are what are the reasons for these closures. If it is due to malpractice and
reimbursement issues, why have academic medical centers thus far persevered in the face
of this environment? What are the implications for both maternity care and medical
training at institutions in the city if this situation is not resolved? Lastly is the current
situation sustainable and what are some possible solutions to the crisis for the area. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/3186 |
| Appears in Collections: | Health Sciences Theses and Dissertations
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