Phil Gingrey: “As an OB/GYN Member of the body, I think I have a unique perspective on this issue, not only as a physician who has…”

“As an OB/GYN Member of the body, I think I have a unique perspective on this issue, not only as a physician who has delivered more than 5,000 babies and seen many of my colleagues giving up their practice because of fear of runaway lawsuits, but also as a grandparent. My identical twin granddaughters were born 5 years ago at 26 weeks. They each weighed 1 pound 12 ounces. Thank God we were in a community where we had access to care. There was an OB/GYN physician willing to take care of my daughter in that high risk situation. There was a skilled neonatologist. We did have a hospital that still had an intensive care nursery. Had we not been in that situation, had we been in a more rural part of my State or in some of the other States that are in a crisis mode, my daughters would not have received that care, and instead of being healthy, vibrant 5-year-olds today, I am sure that both of them would have cerebral palsy, our family would be devastated and society would probably bear the brunt of the cost of their care for the rest of their lives. So this bill is all about access to care.”