Alabama’s plan to use [telerobotic ultrasounds for prenatal care] earns praise from White House

By <name>/u/ddx-me</name><uri>https://old.reddit.com/user/ddx-me</uri>

https://www.al.com/news/2026/01/alabamas-plan-to-use-robots-for-key-medical-procedure-earns-praise-from-white-house.html “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,” [Mehmet Oz, MD] said, while seated next to Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump. Oz is referring to Alabama’s plan to use some of the $203 million it was awarded under the federal government’s Rural Health Transformation Program, a grant that was created in last year’s Big Beautiful Bill. “No, Dr. Oz. It is not “cool” that we don’t have OBGYN’s in many rural counties in America. It is an international embarrassment [i]n the richest country on earth, we need more doctors, nurses, dentists and mental health counselors, not more robots.” Senator Bernie Sanders replies on Twitter. ___ Of note, Alabama bans all abortions - breaking Alabama's abortion law can result in a class A felony with a prison sentence ranging from 10 years to life and potential fines of up to $60,000. Also, rural clinics may not have the infrastructure to implement and maintain these telerobotic ultrasounds. All this to say that Alabama policy is not conducive to attracting rural healthcare workers --- especially in Alabama who has the highest maternal mortality rates in the US. EDIT: another related article here from an OB/GYN practice Walker Women's Specialists in Jasper AL. Dr. Autery eloquently explains: "There may be a case where a mom may have no fluid and that patient needs to go to a hospital, but if you're in a part of the county that doesn't have a hospital that has obstetrical services, now you have to drive an hour to an hour and a half to receive those services from a physician that did not do the ultrasound[.] If she is an hour and a half away, I still have to wait on her to get here. For us, someone is always here all the time. We live here. There's something to be said about just

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