Rural Health
News by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
Oct 28, 2026 - Highlights efforts to expand access to obstetric and gynecological care for rural Kentucky women, particularly for ovarian cancer screening and care as well as prenatal care and complications. Discusses the importance of partnerships between local providers and specialists.
Source: UK Now
Oct 26, 2026 - Wyoming has received funding to continue its home visiting program for pregnant women and families with young children, offering them connections to support and services. The program recently expanded and prioritizes families at risk of poor health outcomes, including rural residents.
Source: Wyoming Public Radio
Oct 23, 2026 - Describes a newly funded project aiming to increase the participation of rural communities in clinical research and strengthen research partnerships with rural areas across the Southwest. Planned clinical research studies will investigate using telehealth to manage chronic disease and the impact of community doulas on maternal health outcomes.
Source: UNM Health Sciences News
Oct 21, 2026 - Discusses a new Minnesota-based fellowship to train family medicine physicians in obstetrics to address limited access to obstetric care in rural communities.
Source: MPR News
Oct 19, 2026 - Discusses insufficient access to both labor and delivery services and emergency medical services across Iowa, noting the potential impacts on maternal health outcomes.
Source: KMTV
Oct 13, 2026 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $12.7 million in awards through the Maternal Produce Prescription Program to help pregnant and postpartum women and their families in low-income and medically underserved communities access healthy foods. The program bolsters partnerships among healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and local food systems.
Source: Health Resources and Services Administration
Oct 13, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "Healthy Start Evaluation and Quality Improvement, OMB No. 0915-0338—Revision." Proposed revisions include changes to clarifying instructions, updating response options to improve accuracy in reporting, and adding fields to capture the month of infant birth and/or death. Comments are due by November 12, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 9, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched the Newborn Essentials Support Toolkit in West Virginia. The program aims to offer families supplies and information in the days following delivery of a baby. One goal of the program is to reach rural and other medically underserved families.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Oct 5, 2026 - Announces awarded funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program which offers home visiting services for improved outcomes during pregnancy and early childhood. Notes that the program reaches families where services are more limited, including in rural communities.
Source: Health Resources and Services Administration
Oct 1, 2026 - Announces new awarded funding in Alabama from the Rural Health Transformation Program. Initiatives include maternal and fetal health, emergency medical services for stroke response and treat-in-place services, simulation training, cancer screening and treatment, equipment upgrades, and workforce pipeline projects.
Source: Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey