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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Closing the Gap: How a Community Effort Can Improve Rural Maternity Care
Case study of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) that increased access to maternal healthcare in rural North Carolina by opening a maternity care center. Discusses recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals and collaboration among healthcare organizations in the community.
Author(s): Jesus Ruiz
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 22(1), 68
Date: 01/2024
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Veterans Health: VA Should Improve Its Monitoring of Severe Maternal Complications and Mental Health Screenings
Examines Veterans Administration (VA) data on deaths and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans from fiscal year 2011 through 2020. Explores actions the VA has taken to monitor maternal health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum veterans and the extent to which the VA facilitates mental health screenings for these veterans. Offers recommendations to the VA regarding monitoring trends in severe maternal morbidity by veteran characteristics and maternity care coordinators' screening of veterans for mental health conditions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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America's Children: Special Issue 2024, Maternal and Infant Health and Well-Being
Examines the factors predicting maternal and infant well-being. Breaks down data by a number of measures, including food insecurity, vaccinations, maternal health, prenatal care, and more. Select data on Tdap vaccinations, smoking during pregnancy, adequacy of prenatal care, and maternal mortality are available by metro versus nonmetro location.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
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HRSA Supports Maternal Health in Rural Communities
A fact sheet that highlights the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's 2024 investments and programs to improve rural maternal health.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Maine Doula Workforce Assessment
Describes characteristics of doulas in Maine, their locations, the populations they serve, and what types of challenges Maine people face in accessing doulas' services. Includes information from online surveys conducted in 2023-2024. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Sarah Tewhey, Cait Vaughan
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Maine Doula Coalition
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Oklahoma Maternal Health Morbidity and Mortality Annual Report 2024
Report of maternal morbidity and mortality outcomes in Oklahoma including an overview of Oklahoma women's health. Highlights recent trends and breaks down data by demographics such as race and ethnicity, educational attainment, age, rurality, and more. Offers recommendations to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality statewide. Appendix discusses challenges with accurate data for American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Maternal Health Task Force, Oklahoma State Department of Health
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2023 Louisiana Health Report Card
Provides detailed health data by parish for Louisiana. Covers cancer incidence, suicides, the opioid epidemic, COVID-19, infectious diseases, low birthweights and infant deaths, top causes of death, and more.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Department of Health
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Rural Maternity Innovation Summit Reports
Findings from a March 2024 Clifton, Texas summit that brought together leaders from six innovative and sustainable rural maternity programs. The site report provides case studies, sharing information on maternity services, staffing, financial strategies, and more. The leader report shares strategies and identifies leadership competencies, values, and character traits that support the leaders' abilities to meet the challenges in providing sustainable rural maternity services in rural communities.
Author(s): Erin E. Sullivan, Benjamin Anderson, Mark Deutchman
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Colorado School of Medicine Rural Program
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California: County Health Status Profiles 2024
Reports on health status indicators recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for monitoring state and local progress toward achieving Healthy People 2020 goals for the state of California. Includes county-specific information for causes of death, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancy, and other health conditions.
Additional links: Statewide Mortality Trends Interactive Visualization
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: California Conference of Local Health Officers, California Department of Public Health
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Indiana Health Workforce Summit: Behavioral & Mental Health
Provides an overview of the 2024 Indiana Health Workforce Summit that covered issues and strategies related to the Indiana healthcare workforce. Includes Information on education, training, recruitment, and retention in the areas of behavioral, primary care, and rural health. Discusses health workforce needs for specific population groups.
Additional links: Primary Care: Adult & Geriatrics Brief, Primary Care: Maternal & Child Brief, Rural Health Brief
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy, Indiana Department of Health, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
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