The OB/GYN workforce is not keeping pace with demand. Projections by the Health Resources and Services Administration estimate that the United States will only meet 82% of anticipated demand by 2037. As workforce numbers continue to decline, maternity care access is becoming less accessible, particularly in rural areas where labor and delivery units are closing at an accelerating rate.
In the United States, there are approximately 46,500 active OB/GYNs, including an estimated 1,050 specialists in maternal and fetal medicine.
According to the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO), more than 52,000 physicians work locum tenens annually. Out of over 46,600 OB/GYNs, almost 4,000 have worked locum tenens either in tandem with their full-time position or as a stand-alone career.
Among the top five physician specialties utilizing locum tenens, OB/GYNs accounted for 13% of all locum tenens searches for physicians in 2023. This placed OB/GYN just behind surgery and gastroenterology, underscoring its vital role in interim healthcare staffing.
The growing OB/GYN shortage is largely influenced by the limited number of residency positions. Despite strong interest in the specialty, the number of positions available falls short, leading to fewer OB/GYNs entering the workforce.
Despite some growth in the number of available OB/GYN residency positions, the increase has not been sufficient to overcome workforce constraints or address ongoing gaps in access to OB/GYN care.
Burnout remains one of the primary drivers of growing physician shortages. According to a 2025 Medscape survey, 40% of OB/GYNs report their work-life balance has worsened compared to 3 years prior.
Since 2010, over 500 hospitals within the U.S. have closed their obstetric units, with rural hospitals accounting for over 200 of those closures, according to a study published by the JAMA Network.
As these closures continue, the consequences are increasingly visible at the community level. Gaps in maternity care access have become more pronounced in certain counties, with more than 5.5 million women now living in counties with no or limited access to maternity care services, according to a 2024 report done by the March of Dimes.
Today, hospitals across the U.S. are adopting OB hospitalist models at an increasing rate to help mitigate the impacts of the shortage and ensure access to care. Studies have found that implementing OB hospitalist models delivers benefits for patients, OB providers, and hospitals alike.
By incorporating an OB hospitalist model, healthcare organizations ensure continuous coverage for inpatient obstetric care without relying on a single provider. With one team focused on inpatient deliveries, another managing outpatient services, and a third overseeing gynecological surgeries, hospitals can deploy clinical expertise more efficiently across the care continuum.
Uncover how Medicus helped a NYC health system build an OB hospitalist team and achieve a 24% increase in deliveries from the previous year here.
As OB/GYN staffing gaps continue nationwide, utilizing locum tenens OB/GYNs to fill in temporary staffing gaps is vital in ensuring continuous access to care.
Partnering with a trusted locum tenens agency like Medicus streamlines OB/GYN coverage by managing staffing complexities, easing the load on permanent teams, and helping maintain continuity of care.
For an in-depth look into the factors contributing to the OB/GYN shortage and strategies that can be leveraged to navigate it, click here.
There are an estimated 46,500 OB/GYNs in the United States.
As of July 2025, roughly 9% of OB/GYNs work locum tenens, either as their full-time career or in tandem with their permanent job, according to Medicus' proprietary data.
Nearly 30% of OB/GYNs reported experiencing burnout, with 23% reporting being both burned out and depressed, according to Medscape's OB/GYN Mental Health and Well-Being 2025 Report.
The shortage of OB/GYNs is due to a combination of factors such as rural disparities, heightened burnout rates, limited residency positions, and additional factors.
According to the March of Dimes, a maternity care desert is defined as counties within the U.S. that do not have obstetric providers or facilities, such as hospitals or birth centers, that offer maternity care.
The states with the highest percentage of maternity care deserts include North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, and Arkansas, according to data from the March of Dimes 2024 Maternity Care Report.