{"id":81868,"date":"2026-01-22T14:30:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=81868"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:30:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:30:45","slug":"experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts: Rural Women’s Healthcare Crisis Won\u2019t Be Solved By Robots"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"
Medical experts say that the answer to the problem of healthcare access for women in the rural U.S. will come from people – not machines. (Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

During a recent White House<\/a> press briefing, Dr. Mehmet Oz promoted an automated fix for a growing women\u2019s health<\/a> concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The television-personality-turned-administrator for Medicare and Medicaid told reporters<\/a>, while seated with President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that “Alabama has no OBGYNs in many of their counties, so they’re doing something pretty cool: They’re actually having robots do ultrasounds on these pregnant moms.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oz was referring to a real proposal to use federal funds in Alabama to create \u201ctelerobotic ultrasound systems.\u201d But several lawmakers, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, took issue with Oz\u2019s framing of the subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Dr. Oz. It is not \u2018cool\u2019 that we don\u2019t have OBGYNs in many rural counties in America. It is an international embarrassment,\u201d Sanders said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cIn the richest country on Earth, we need more doctors, nurses, dentists and mental health counselors \u2013 not more robots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"Women's\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n Trump\u2019s Policies Have Now Shut Down Several Rural Women\u2019s Health Clinics\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

A Growing Problem, For Women Especially<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rural areas of the country \u2013 which are defined<\/a> by a region\u2019s remoteness and smaller population size \u2013 have been healthcare deserts<\/a> for decades. \u201cIn rural areas, you have to travel further distances to access care, wait longer to be seen, and fewer services\u201d are on offer, says Eileen Barrett, president of the American Medical Women’s Association<\/a>. Making matters worse is the fact that residents of rural counties are disproportionately poor<\/a>, and are more frequently unable to afford healthcare<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the second Trump administration<\/a>, the situation has gotten worse. As a result of policies and funding cuts enacted in 2025, clinics are closing \u2013 at least 36<\/a> facilities shut down last year throughout the nation, as well as about 50<\/a> Planned Parenthood locations. Hundreds more<\/a> are at risk. This means \u201cdelayed [or] foregone care, worse health outcomes and financial hardship for families,\u201d the American Medical Association said in a statement<\/a> on how Trump\u2019s 2025 policies are impacting patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessing practitioners has long been a problem in and of itself for rural residents, according to Kris Pakaart, who works in behavioral health at Gallup Community Health<\/a>, a healthcare facility in northwestern New Mexico. Though her offices have the capacity to help more people, \u201cwe cannot get patients in, as many rural areas don\u2019t have a public-transport infrastructure<\/a>\u201d like buses or trains that would allow them to even get to appointments, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exacerbating that problem is the impending loss of Covid-lockdown-era telehealth protections<\/a> \u2013 permissions for the use of audio-only calls, flexibilities around the respective locations of patients and practitioners and more, all of which are set to expire later this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But like robots, even telehealth visits aren’t an ideal tech-based solution, as WiFi access is unreliable in rural parts of the nation \u2013 about 22.3%<\/a> of those living in these parts of the country having no internet access at all. Also, many are left trying to shoehorn remote visits in around their home- and childcare responsibilities, women in particular. \u201cI can hear how distracted [patients] are. It\u2019s difficult, doing five things at once,\u201d Pakaart says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gynecological, obstetric, labor and delivery services come with additional, unique hindrances, says Marcie Richmond, a family physician and the director of training programs at Gallup Community Health. Such offerings are even more difficult and costly to offer \u2013 in all parts of the nation \u2013 largely for liability reasons, but also because of the sheer number of on-call nurses and surgeons needed for parents and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compounding that portion of the problem is the repeal of Roe v. Wade<\/a>, which has caused a brain drain<\/a> in states with the most prohibitive abortion laws \u2013 many of them home to the country\u2019s most rural areas \u2013 because fewer medical professionals are applying to residencies and jobs in these regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combined result: \u201cWhen care is harder to access, the outcomes are worse\u201d for patients, Barrett says \u2013 potentially deadly<\/a>, even.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"\"\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n Trump\u2019s \u2018Big Beautiful Bill\u2019 Will Cause Big Health Woes. Women Are Here to Help\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n

A Call for Humane \u2013 and Human \u2013 Solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to fixing this crisis, \u201cI always support innovation that is grounded in patient safety and that honors patient preferences,\u201d Barrett offers, in regards to the robotic solution Oz promoted, adding that \u201cthere is guidance<\/a> from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine on the use of tele-ultrasound that acknowledges this is very promising.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, she continued, \u201cwe should also be talking about how to leverage collaborations with inter-professional colleagues\u201d like midwives, as well as \u201ca community pilot [program] that offers women-friendly workplaces such as employer-funded childcare, infertility treatment coverage, expansive parental leave, and after-school activities\u201d to incentivize practitioners to work in these parts of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2025 study<\/a> on rural healthcare access, published in the American Journal of Medicine, also pointed to mobile clinics and travel subsidies for patients, to address some of the transportation- and cost-related barriers to access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A holistic and human approach would be best, experts agree. Richmond adds that, in many cases \u2013 especially when it comes to gynecology and obstetrics \u2013 a robot would simply come with too many risks. Everything from physical examinations and placements of contraceptive devices, to performing surgical abortions, hysterectomies and biopsies, all require \u201con-site, hands-on, skilled practitioners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, she adds, robotics are simply too impersonal. \u201cI really value being able to be physically at my patients’ sides as we travel their health journeys together,\u201d she said. \u201cReproductive healthcare is often intense. Being able to hold a hand, offer a tissue, or just hold physical presence for my patients is an essential part of providing healthcare to me.\u201d ◼️<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Related<\/h4>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n
\n \n \"Bill\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n \n Gates Foundation Fills U.S. Global Funding Gap with $2.5 Billion for Women’s Health\n <\/a>\n <\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Remote areas of the U.S. that lack OBGYNs and clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":81869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"Medical experts say that the answer to the problem of healthcare access for women in the rural U.S. will come from people - not machines.","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f","date":"2026-01-22T19:31:00+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mczwedlwj52e","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mczwedlwj52e\",\"cid\":\"bafyreibee7r3orlttzwu6ynjv33o2crewg4vkhqrb5kbvplpgg3rnasqcu\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreifr6kescknjebwzimxbdjemcds7d6glnkafmmsssduy4kndu4dgmi\",\"rev\":\"3mczwedm3ff2e\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187],"tags":[21466,21467,19641],"class_list":["post-81868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-rural-healthcare-access","tag-telehealth-and-technology","tag-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOn Rural Women\u2019s Healthcare Access, Robotics in Medicine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rural areas of the U.S. that lack clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Experts: Rural Women's Healthcare Crisis Won\u2019t Be Solved By Robots\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Remote areas of the U.S. that lack OBGYNs and clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Story Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-22T19:30:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-22T19:30:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"855\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"On Rural Women\u2019s Healthcare Access, Robotics in Medicine","description":"Rural areas of the U.S. that lack clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Experts: Rural Women's Healthcare Crisis Won\u2019t Be Solved By Robots","og_description":"Remote areas of the U.S. that lack OBGYNs and clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.","og_url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/","og_site_name":"The Story Exchange","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","article_published_time":"2026-01-22T19:30:43+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-22T19:30:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":855,"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_site":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/"},"author":{"name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9"},"headline":"Experts: Rural Women’s Healthcare Crisis Won\u2019t Be Solved By Robots","datePublished":"2026-01-22T19:30:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-22T19:30:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/"},"wordCount":946,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg","keywords":["Rural Healthcare Access","Telehealth and Technology","Women's Health"],"articleSection":["Features"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/","name":"On Rural Women\u2019s Healthcare Access, Robotics in Medicine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-22T19:30:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-22T19:30:45+00:00","description":"Rural areas of the U.S. that lack clinics need more than the non-human solutions recently touted by Dr. Oz, medical professionals say.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Rural-Womens-Healthcare-Trump-Dr.-Oz-Robots.jpg","width":1280,"height":855,"caption":"Rural Women's Healthcare Trump Dr. Oz Robots"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/experts-rural-womens-healthcare-crisis-wont-be-solved-by-robots\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Experts: Rural Women’s Healthcare Crisis Won\u2019t Be Solved By Robots"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","name":"The Story Exchange","description":"Inspiration and information for women entrepreneurs","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization","name":"The Story Exchange","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","width":500,"height":180,"caption":"The Story Exchange"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","https:\/\/x.com\/TheStoryXchange","https:\/\/instagram.com\/thestoryexchange\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-story-exchange","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/StoryExchange"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9","name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","description":"Candice Helfand-Rogers has worked as a journalist for some of the largest news organizations in the country over the course of her career, including CBS Local News and The Star-Ledger. She earned her B.A. in Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with several ensembles in New York City and spending time with her son. Please contact candice@thestoryexchange.org with questions or pitches.","sameAs":["https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"],"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81868"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81873,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81868\/revisions\/81873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}