AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is on its way to Augusta University to help provide 24-hour obstetrician care to local families, especially those in rural areas.
Sen. Jon Ossoff shared the news in an exclusive interview with News 12.
He says the $332,010 federal grant will help set up 14 telehealth sites across the CSRA, allowing pregnant women remote access to doctors around the clock.
He stressed this isn't meant to replace in-person visits and appointments.
"We want to make sure that if you are pregnant in rural Georgia, and you have questions or concerns, and you may be short on time or you may not have reliable access to a car, that you can still consult directly with a qualified OB/GYN," Ossoff explained.
He says these virtual appointments will allow women to address any concerns or questions without having to drive to the hospital, adding some women in rural Georgia have to drive as many as two hours for this care.
This could be especially helpful, he says, to women with small children at home. It could also mean working mothers might not have to take a full day off to see a doctor.
Telehealth visits allow qualified OB/GYNs access the patient and, if necessary, advise them to come to the hospital.
This has the potential to catch problems before they turn into an emergency, threatening the life of the mother, child, or both.
"Pregnancy is a high-risk condition, and we want every expecting mother in Georgia to be healthy," said Ossoff.
Ossoff's wife is an obstetrician in Georgia, so he knows the dangers first-hand.
Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that between 2018 and 2020, 113 Georgia women died from pregnancy-related causes. Black women had a higher rate of deaths per birth than white or Hispanic women.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 89% of pregnancy deaths are considered preventable.
A report from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute warns more than half of Georgia counties do not have an adequate number of OBGYNs.
"Our society is measured by how we treat pregnant women, newborn babies and young children, and I want to make sure that every Georgian, no matter where they live can get a high quality consultation with an obstetrician if they have any concerns about their pregnancy," said Ossoff.
News 12 has reached out to Augusta University about the specifics and when these new telehealth sites will be up and running.