ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - There's a maternal health crisis happening nationally, and one local doctor is being recognized at a Community Dedication Celebration Friday night for continuously serving North County residents over her three decade career.
In this specific area, a lot of families would have to travel to get basic obstetrics care if it weren't for Dr. Carolyn Pryor's, an Obstetric Physician at SSM DePaul Hospital.
Pryor said over the last 30 years, there's been a lot of changes with health care in general. Including closures of some of the services in North County and a hospital not providing maternal services. Pryor said there's also prominent practices leaving the area.
"It did leave a void for healthcare for women," Pryor said. "However, with programs and services that SSM DePaul Hospital has initiated, we are starting to see some of those services return."
Many areas in Missouri that are considered "health care deserts", but Pryor said we're not at that point quite yet.
"However, there are some areas that have no Obstetric services for many, many miles," Pryor said. "Our mothers have to travel much further distances in order to receive care."
According to the CDC, it is more dangerous to give birth now than it was 30 years ago. In 1987, there were 7.2 deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2020, that number was 23.8 per 100,000.
Pryor said a statistic like that is sobering and surprising for a developed country like the United States.
"We would anticipate that with the level of services that we have available, with our universities, with our hospitals, that we wouldn't see those numbers," Pryor said. "[But] it is a reality."
St. Louis is starting to see more people entering into Obstetrics and Gynecology, but Pryor said those people typically don't want to practice in underserved areas.
"We have a real big challenge recruiting physicians to areas of need," Pryor said. "I think there needs to be, you know, more incentives in order to encourage them to come and practice in areas where their services are most needed."
Many women are afriad to get pregnant and give birth, and Pryor said most of her patients are already pregnant.
When they do come in and they are pregnant and have the fear of dying during pregnany or after birth, Pryor said she gives as much reassurance as possible.
"I tell them to make sure that they have an advocate. That they have someone there that can speak for them when they can't speak for themselves," Pryor said. "And choose a healthcare provider that will listen to them and understand their concerns."
Pryor is being recognized Friday night at a community recognition celebration. She said the biggest part of this is bringing awareness to the women that live in North County.
"There are healthcare services available," Pryor said. "They don't have to travel outside their community in order to receive quality health care."
SSM Health DePaul Hospital has an Obstetric Care Center, a labor and delivery unit with 24/7 coverage, a breast care center, and physicians with SSM Medical Group that are open to take care of women whether they're pregnant or not.
The Community Dedication Celebration is at the Nature Lodge at Sunset Park on Friday night at 6 p.m.
