Dozens of Idaho obstetricians have stopped practicing there since abortions were banned, study says
BOISE, Idaho. — More than 50 Idaho midwives have stopped practicing in the state since a near-total abortion ban went into effect in August 2022, according to a recently released report.
Data collected by the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative also shows that only two midwives have moved to the state to practice in the past 15 months, the Idaho Statesman reported Tuesday. Midwives provide health care during pregnancy and childbirth.
The number of obstetricians in Idaho dropped from 227 in 2022 to about 176 in 2023, a decrease of 51 physicians, the report said. The Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative was founded in 2018 by local physicians to address issues facing physicians and patients in Idaho communities, according to its website.
The numbers “should include every person who lives in Idaho or is considering moving to Idaho,” the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare said in a news release this week. The coalition is the parent group of the Idaho Physician Well-Being Action Collaborative.
In addition, the report said two hospital obstetric programs — at West Bonner General Health in Sandpoint and at Valor Health in Emmett — have closed since Idaho’s law banning abortion took effect, the report said.
A third hospital-based midwifery program is in “serious danger” of closure, the report said.
Only 22 of Idaho’s 44 counties have access to practicing midwives, the report said. About 85% of Idaho obstetricians and gynecologists practice in the seven most populous counties.
Idaho banned nearly all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Idaho makes it a crime with a prison sentence of up to five years for anyone who performs or assists in an abortion.
After Roe, many maternity care physicians in restrictive states are deciding whether to stay or go. They weigh tough questions about medical ethics, their families and whether they can provide the best care without risking their careers or prison time.
Dr. Kylie Cooper, a maternal-fetal specialist, left Idaho last year. She told The Associated Press at the time that it was a very difficult decision, but that she and her family needed to be where they felt reproductive health care was protected and safe.
Data also shows that Idaho is at the 10th percentile in maternal mortality, meaning 90% of the country has better maternal and pregnancy outcomes than Idaho.
“At a time when we need to build our physician workforce to meet the needs of a growing Idaho population and address the increasing risks of pregnancy and childbirth, Idaho’s laws that criminalize private doctor-patient decisions have put our state in a health care crisis that, if left unchecked, will impact future generations of Idaho families,” said Dr. Caitlin Gustafson, a gynecologist and board chair of the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare Foundation, said in the news release.
The loss of midwives puts further pressure on the healthcare system, which was already facing a shortage of doctors, the publication said. The national average of live births per year per obstetrician is 94 compared to 107 in Idaho, the news release said.