NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, doctors have been voicing concerns about the future of maternal healthcare.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, Board-Certified OBGYN and Head of Women’s Services at Ochsner Medical Center, said the U.S. spends a majority of their gross domestic product on healthcare but has the worst outcome.
To her, a mother’s so-called “fourth trimester” needs more attention and how the healthcare industry is taking care of mothers in the months after birth.
“It’s really unfortunate that as moms are delivered they become disconnected to the healthcare system, really until we see them for the arbitrary six week appointment,” Dr. Gillispie-Bell said. “We know from looking at our numbers that a majority of deaths actually happen after delivery. So we are working on ways through Ochsner to keep connected with those moms during the post-partum period.”
Dr. Gillispie-Bell said Ochsner doctors utilize telehealth to keep in touch with mothers after birth.