Rural Health
News by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
Jul 21, 2026 - Describes a postpartum care initiative in a rural Pennsylvania town aiming to support new mothers and increase breastfeeding rates.
Source: 90.5 WESA
Jul 10, 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 replace obsolete categories, separating response options to better reflect current program priorities, and adding fields to capture the month of infant birth and/or death. Comments are due by September 8, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - Describes a maternal care training program for emergency responders and hospital staff in rural Florida where maternal care is limited. The training includes simulations of emergency scenarios, preparing the trainees to handle critical issues to allow for safe patient transfers to specialty care.
Source: Fox 13
Jun 23, 2026 - Highlights the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Discusses new data showing an increase in access for rural counties across the country.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Jun 22, 2026 - Highlights new data showing increasing drive times to labor and delivery services for rural Arkansans. Discusses labor and delivery department closures in the state and how the population distribution makes offering the service challenging.
Source: Arkansas Advocate
Jun 15, 2026 - Describes a new website highlighting the services offered by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences related to rural healthcare, education, and social safety net programs. Discusses how those programs increase access to healthcare, improve maternal and infant health, support the healthcare workforce, and make use of community health workers.
Source: UAMS News