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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness
Report discussing mental health for female veterans. Discusses topics including suicide prevention with a focus on rural issues, abuse and violence, substance use, eating disorders, social connectedness, maternity, and care coordination. Offers policy and research recommendations to the Veterans Health Administration.
Additional links: Quick Glance
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Disabled American Veterans
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2024 Status of Women and Girls in Minnesota
Report examining economic opportunity, safety, health and wellness, and leadership equality among women and girls in Minnesota based on data from the American Community Survey, Minnesota Student Survey, and other sources. Highlights disparities in healthcare access, food security, and environmental health for rural populations.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Women, Gender and Public Policy, University of Minnesota, Women's Foundation of Minnesota
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Effects of Rurality and Distance to Care on Perinatal Outcomes over a 1-Year Period During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines how rurality and/or distance to care impacts perinatal outcomes such as pre-eclampsia, preterm labor, neonatal intensive care, birth weight, and more. Analyzes outcomes from 2,497 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic period of May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021, with results broken down by distance to care and metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural location.
Author(s): Pratyusha V. Bujimalla, Kimberly A. Kenne, Haley A. Steffen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(3), 520-530
Date: 2024
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Arizona Health Improvement Plan Summary Document 2024-2025 Update
Describes state efforts to address health priorities in Arizona, including social determinants of health, mental well-being, and rural health. Highlights strategies to improve public health in each identified area.
Additional links: Rural & Urban Underserved Health 2024-2025 Update
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Gestational Weight Gain Among Urban and Rural Pregnant Individuals Who Smoke or Quit Smoking
Examines the relationship between smoking cessation and gestational weight gain (GWG). Utilizes 2009-2020 Virginia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data to analyze GWG and smoking in rural versus urban pregnant women.
Author(s): Kinsey Pebley, Asal Pilehvari, Rebecca A Krukowski, Melissa A Little
Citation: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 66(5), 888-893
Date: 12/2023
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Tennessee Health Equity Plan, 2023-2028
Outlines strategies, timelines, and the steps to be taken to ensure equitable health services, meaningful partnerships, engaged communities, and a diverse, skilled workforce in Tennessee. Includes statistics on obesity with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and maternal care and food deserts.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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A Qualitative Study of Systems-Level Factors That Affect Rural Obstetric Nurses' Work During Clinical Emergencies
Evaluates systems-level factors affecting rural obstetric nurses and their care for patients experiencing clinical deterioration from interviews with 11 nurses and physicians at rural hospitals in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Identifies challenges and opportunities related to resource shortages, cooperation in the workplace, conflicting workplace responsibilities, facility policies and procedures, and more.
Author(s): Samantha L. Bernstein, Maya Piccolo, Elisabeth Grills, Kenneth Catchpole
Citation: The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 2024
Date: 12/2023
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Annual Report on the New Hampshire Health Care Workforce and Data Collection: Calendar Year 2023
Includes aggregate data and information on current and projected New Hampshire primary workforce needs and the participation rate on surveys completed by clinicians for the Health Professions Data Center. Features a state map showing rural and nonrural New Hampshire regional public health networks, and statistics on demographics, barriers to care, substance use and mental health, and maternal health. Includes license renewal data for various providers types, and workforce data on physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants, including percentage in rural regions.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organizations: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, New Hampshire Rural Health & Primary Care
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Rural America's OB Deserts Widen in Fallout From Pandemic
Explores the loss of obstetrics services in rural communities since 2011. Presents data on the number and percentage of rural hospitals that discontinued obstetrics services between 2011 and 2021. Discusses the impact of the loss of these services on maternal and infant health.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Improving the Maternity Care Safety Net: Establishing Maternal Mortality Surveillance for Non-Obstetric Providers and Institutions
Examines a quality improvement plan implemented by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) that utilizes system-level surveillance to monitor non-obstetric care for pregnant veterans. Examines maternal mortality of veterans using VA maternity care benefits, with 2011-2020 data broken down by age, race/ethnicity, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Joan L. Combellick, Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Aryan Esmaeili, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 37
Date: 12/2023
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