State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers led nine other candidates for the Democratic nomination for governor Tuesday in the latest Marquette University Law School poll. Evers had 25 percent while the rest of the field was in single digits.
About the time that poll was being conducted, Evers’ Facebook campaign page shared an interesting map. The map, shared from Wisconsin Public Radio, shows 20 Wisconsin counties that currently do not have an OB/GYN health care provider, and Ever’s reaction to that map.
We reached out in an email to the Evers’ campaign with the following questions:
Our research shows at least two of the counties, Oconto and Waupaca, do have OB/GYN care providers. Most of the the other counties listed are very sparsely populated, suggesting they may not have the patient base to support an OB/GYN practice in that county.
Could you please share with us what Dr. Evers sees as the reason for lack of OB/GYN services in these counties and what he would do to provide it (if he is elected governor). Thank you.
We then reached out to the Evers campaign by phone and was told someone would return our call with answers. As of publication time Thursday morning, that has not happened. Without a response, it’s entirely unclear what Evers believes is the cause of the shortage and how, as governor, he would address it.
The map is from a PDF at the Wisconsin Public Radio website. It shows Oconto and Waupaca Counties as having no providers. Our Google search showed at least two in Oconto County, and what appears to be at least one in Waupaca County. Furthermore, four of the counties without providers are small, sparsely populated counties clustered around Eau Claire County. It’s likely the residents in those sparsely populated counties use services in Eau Claire County.
Historically, fewer hospital and medical facilities than the numbers seen in large metro areas have been accepted as a way of life in rural, sparsely populated Wisconsin counties.
[avatar user=”Jerry Bader” /] Jerry Bader is the editor of Media Trackers and also the host of the podcast Jerry Bader Live. This appears courtesy of Media Trackers.
