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Casper’s maternity care is under intense strain as the number of practicing OB-GYNs in the region has fallen to just two physicians, leaving the city’s obstetric services stretched thin. The shortfall is producing longer waits for routine care, heavier emergency call schedules for remaining providers and fresh pressure on state leaders as Wyoming seeks to shore up rural birth services.
Fewer doctors, heavier nights
Dr. Susan Sheridan, an obstetrician who has worked in central Wyoming for nearly two decades, says a once-robust local roster of five or six private OB-GYNs has dwindled to her and her partner, Dr. Melissa Hieb. That reduction has transformed on-call responsibilities and made planning a normal clinic day nearly impossible.
Sheridan describes a workweek punctuated by abrupt shifts: seeing office patients for gynecologic or menopausal concerns, then being summoned to the hospital for a high-risk labor, a cesarean or an obstetric emergency. With fewer colleagues to rotate call, the couple now face an intense and frequent on-call burden that pushes routine appointments months into the future.
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How that affects patients
When emergency deliveries and urgent consults take precedence, preventive and nonurgent visits are the first to be delayed. Sheridan says that means annual exams, mental health check-ins and pelvic-care follow-ups often get rescheduled — sometimes well beyond what patients expect.
The practical consequences extend beyond inconvenience. Experts warn that delayed prenatal care can raise risks for complications, and having to travel long distances for deliveries imposes costs and safety concerns, especially in Wyoming’s often severe weather.
Casper’s experience illustrates a wider pattern: since 2022 four Wyoming hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units, and parts of the state are classified as maternity care deserts. Rural closures nationwide have been frequent, and Wyoming’s low population density complicates recruitment and the financial case for keeping birthing services open.
Daily reality and long-term strain
Sheridan and Hieb alternate between clinic, outpatient surgery suites and the hospital. The practice’s revenue depends on scheduled office work, yet emergency demands mean missed appointments and financial instability. Sheridan reports working double-digit-hour days and says the cadence is unsustainable over the long term — for clinicians and their families.
Efforts to hire another obstetrician have been underway for more than a year without success. Recruiters note a national competition for candidates and many positions in other states offer lighter call schedules or hospital-employed models that attract applicants more easily than private-practice roles in rural areas.
Consequences at a glance
- Longer waits for routine gynecologic and prenatal visits, with some new patients not accepted.
- Increased likelihood that obstetric emergencies will fall to smaller teams or require transfers.
- Greater travel time for expectant mothers in remote counties, raising safety and cost concerns.
- Financial pressure on practices that lose revenue when in-office appointments are repeatedly postponed.
Policy responses and funding
State policymakers have made maternity care a recurring priority, and Wyoming recently received a major federal award: $205 million from the Rural Health Transformation Fund intended to strengthen fragile rural systems, including maternity services. Earlier this summer the state invited hospitals, EMS providers and training programs to apply for grants to create residency slots, coordinate emergency resources and expand telehealth specialist access.
Still, legislative measures to raise Medicaid reimbursement for maternal providers failed in 2026, even as lawmakers approved Medicaid coverage for licensed freestanding birth centers. Stakeholders describe the problem as multifaceted — staffing shortages, malpractice cost concerns and the economics of low-volume obstetric units all intersect.
At a recent committee hearing, Sheridan stressed the role of training pathways in building a local workforce, urging expansion or better use of programs such as WWAMI that place Wyoming students in medical training with incentives to return. Hospital leaders have pointed to expensive mitigation efforts already underway, including a night laborist program intended to reduce overnight call burdens on local independent OBs.
What’s at stake now
Health officials and community leaders say the stakes include both individual safety and broader community viability. Reliable local maternity care influences whether young families choose to relocate to or remain in rural towns. If prenatal and delivery services keep shrinking, experts warn of a chain reaction of delayed care, risky travel, and potential increases in emergency deliveries outside equipped units.
The immediate picture in Casper — two remaining private OB-GYNs carrying a workload once shared among many — is a local example of a national trend. Solutions will likely require combined action: targeted funding, workforce development, changes to payment models and creative local programs to reduce on-call strain.
For patients and families in central Wyoming the near-term question is clear: can the region recruit and retain enough providers to restore routine access to prenatal and gynecologic care, or will delays and longer drives become the new normal?
