In the United States, access to maternity care in rural counties continues to decline. Last week, JAMA Network published a research article from the FORHP-funded University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center showing that rural counties with no hospital-based obstetric services increased from 54 percent of rural counties in 2014 to almost 59 percent in 2022. The study authors discussed their findings in a recent Gateway webinar – Access to Maternity Care in Rural U.S. Communities. The presentation described disparities in maternal health outcomes for rural populations, the growing scarcity of obstetric care, and the far-reaching consequences of obstetric unit closures.
