A growing national shortage of OBGYNs is putting pressure on maternity care across the country, and Montana is among the states feeling the strain. In Billings, Intermountain Health is expanding its services and investing in wom en's care.In the heart of that effort is Julianna Papez, Intermountain Health's OBGYN program medical director and for her, the work is personal.Watch the full story below: Intermountain Health expands OBGYN program in Billings amid growing national shortagePapez was born at St. Vincent Regional Hospital and has now returned to help lead Intermountain Health's new OBGYN practice."We can create a truly all-encompassing women's health care within our community and in one spot," Papez said Wednesday.But building that kind of care takes people and right now, OBGYNs are in short supply across the country."OBGYN is just a really challenging specialty because it is so demanding. There always has to be someone available to see patients in the clinic," Papez said.The National Institutes of Health says in less than 10 years, all but a handful of states will experience inadequate OBGYN workforces. Montana could be one of them.Papez says the goal is to give women consistent care throughout their pregnancies and beyond."Our goal with this program will be to be able to be there for these women during their pregnancies to get early care and stable, continuous care throughout their pregnancy and postpartum as well too," Papez said.But recruiting doctors to a rural state like Montana isn't easy.On Billings' West End, many women turn to Billings OBGYN Associates, a private practice already feeling the impact of the shortage. The practice recently took to social media to reassure patients that, despite ongoing shortages and rumors, it is not closing. But CEO Rob Harding says recruiting new doctors has been a challenge and that could soon affect expecting mothers.Unless the practice can hire another OB, it will stop accepting new OB patients after March 31."It still is a rural community, and it can be very challenging to recruit physicians to a rural community and keep them here as well," Papez said.Misty Parris, medical group vice president of operations at Intermountain Health, says she sees people coming out of residencies and fellowships, but not enough OBGYNs."Not as many OB docs are coming out of those schools now," Parris said.Still, Parris believes Billings has a lot to offer and says Intermountain is casting a wide net to find talent."We have a full service of recruiters that are out and about looking and recruiting, able to go to different conferences to ensure that our need is out there," Parris said.Intermountain is looking to fill 15 positions total 10 physicians and 5 advanced practice providers, which include nurse practitioners and physician assistants."APP is a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant. And so we're looking for about 10 physicians and five APPs to come on board," Parris said.The expansion is aimed at keeping women's health care accessible in Billings."It's important for us to ensure we have the access to care so that our patients can get that critical need of care that they need," Parris said. ...read more read less