Rural Health
News by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
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
Sep 17, 2026 - Discusses recent research highlighting labor and delivery service access issues and describes challenges for rural Missouri. Discusses long travel times to care, why offering labor and delivery care is challenging for rural facilities, and how Rural Health Transformation Program funding is supporting doula and other services aiming to fill gaps.
Source: KCUR, NPR
Sep 11, 2026 - Describes a remote patient monitoring program for pregnant and postpartum women in rural Mississippi. Discusses the impact of the program on detecting common health conditions, increasing health literacy, and addressing mental health as well as how clinicians use the data in healthcare provision.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Sep 8, 2026 - Discusses the impact of labor and delivery department closures across the nation and highlights one Minnesota hospital that has managed to maintain labor and delivery services in spite of the trends. Describes budgeting and patient relationships as key factors in their success.
Source: NPR
Aug 28, 2026 - Various Virginia community-based organizations are among the first wave of grantees who will use Rural Health Transformation Fund (RHTF) money to hire and retain rural healthcare providers, invest in healthcare technologies, and strengthen the healthcare workforce in rural areas. Virginia received a total $189 million in RHTF money late last year.
Source: Virginia Mercury
Aug 21, 2026 - Summarizes discussions among policymakers and maternal healthcare stakeholders in Arkansas regarding maternal and postpartum healthcare access across the state. Includes discussion on labor and delivery department losses and barriers to care with particular focus on rural communities.
Source: 40/29 News