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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Characteristics of US Rural Hospitals by Obstetric Service Availability, 2017
Examines the characteristics of rural hospitals that did not provide obstetric care in 2017. Compares rural hospitals that did and did not have obstetrics services by financial structure, location, and hospital size and emergency department availability and volume. Discusses the public health implications of this analysis.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Mariana S. Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith, Lindsay Admon
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1315-1317
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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Polysubstance Use among Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder in the United States, 2007–2016
Details a study on polysubstance use, or the use of multiple substances at once, by pregnant women from 2007-2016. Breaks down results by demographic data such as age, race, and socioeconomic status, as well as by substances used and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Marian P. Jarlenski, Nicole C. Paul, Elizabeth E. Krans
Citation: Obstetrics and Gynecology, 136(3), 556-564
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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A Century Later: Rural Public Health's Enduring Challenges and Opportunities
Discusses rural health disparities that have persisted over the past century, with information on infectious disease, access to healthcare, maternal and child health, and racial health disparities in the United States. Discusses public health challenges and solutions for rural communities.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Carly Milkowski
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, e1-e9
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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Obstetric Emergencies in Rural Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities
Describes challenges faced by rural hospitals in offering emergency obstetric care and highlights resources that help rural hospitals respond to obstetric emergencies effectively. Includes a summary of concerns, based on responses to a survey of rural hospitals that do not routinely provide obstetric care.
Author(s): Mariana Story Tuttle, Mary Gilbertson, Julia D. Interrante, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
Webinar recording discusses a National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services' policy brief on the challenges of providing maternal and obstetric care in rural communities. Features presentations from representatives of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mercer University, and MSMP Anesthesia Services LLC.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 08/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Alcohol Use and Co-Use of Other Substances Among Pregnant Females Aged 12–44 Years — United States, 2015–2018
Examines self-reported drinking in the past 12 months, current drinking, binge drinking, and the co-use of other substances among pregnant females aged 12–44 years. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Lucinda J. England, Carolyne Bennett, Clark H. Denny, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(31), 1009-1014
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Providing Maternity Care in a Rural Northern Iowa Community
Describes how a rural Critical Access Hospital in Iowa has sustained its maternity care practice and offers suggestions for other rural hospitals and communities seeking to retain local access to pregnancy and childbirth services.
Author(s): Alexandria Kristensen-Cabrera, Julia D. Interrante, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Telehealth in Practice Lana'i CHC
A recorded webinar that discusses the incorporation of telehealth in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on a remote island in Hawaii to support access to prenatal care. Transcript available below description.
Date: 07/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center
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Spatial Barriers as Moral Failings: What Rural Distance Can Teach Us about Women's Health and Medical Mistrust
Explores the perceptions of rural women about their access to healthcare, including maternal care. Discusses some of the perceived barriers to healthcare access by rural women, such as spacial distance and mistrust of healthcare providers.
Author(s): Michele Statz, Kaylie Evers
Citation: Health and Place, 64, 102396
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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Health Care Access for Infants and Toddlers in Rural Areas
Research brief describing how rural children are more likely to face a unique combination of challenges that negatively impact their health and development, such as fewer healthcare providers, barriers to accessing care, and higher rates of poverty. Includes rural/urban comparisons for each state, with information on the percentage of infants and toddlers lacking health insurance, receiving recommended vaccinations, attending a preventive medical appointment, and more.
Author(s): Jessie Laurore, Gayane Baziyants, Sarah Daily
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
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