One medical official says that Guam is in a new healthcare crisis: a shortage of OB-GYNs. But what does access to healthcare look like for expectant mothers in the Marianas?

The hospital has 5 OB-GYNs, 3 full-time and 2 short-term working for up to 6 months on Saipan. Rhonda DiCostanzo, OB-GYN Dept. Chair, Certified Nurse Midwife, CHCC, said, "We’re fully staffed at this moment. But like I said, two of those physicians are locum positions and people come and people come all the time. So you never know, somebody could fall ins our laps next month, next week, or somebody could leave, so it is always a fluid situation."

She says Guam’s shortage of OB-GYNs does not have a direct impact on care in the CNMI, but, "Possibly with consultation or with referrals, but we send a lot of our referrals to Hawaii. So we do not use Guam that much for referrals."

The hospital sees 40 childbirths a month. The last time she was on Saipan in 2004, Dicostanzo says they delivered more than 100 babies a month.

Today, she says midwives deliver most of the babies while physicians do operative deliveries.

"The midwives are in the hospital 24/7…and the physicians are on call 24/7," she added.

She says mothers on Saipan face problems of their own. Only one visitor at a time is allowed in the delivery room due to COVID guidelines, some mothers also report contracting the virus, and she says women have a hard time getting to appointments on island.

Mothers on Rota and Tinian have to fly to Saipan to give birth. "Women in Rota and Tinian will come to Saipan at about 36 weeks to stay here until they deliver. Rota and Tinian both have guest houses here, where the women can stay," she said. "I cannot remember the last time somebody was born on Rota or Tinian but if they are, it is not intentional."

She says the team at CHCC is ready to take care of local families.