Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
Bridging the Gap: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a New Rural Maternity Care Center Amid Nationwide Closures
Examines healthcare quality and access following the reopening of a maternity care center at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in a rural community that experienced a maternity unit closure. Includes data comparisons of rural maternity care center (MCC) versus suburban tertiary care center patient demographics, delivery outcomes, and patient experiences. Discusses policy efforts to improve access to rural maternal health.
Author(s): Kathryn Wouk, Ellen Chetwynd, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1),102
Date: 01/2026
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Examines healthcare quality and access following the reopening of a maternity care center at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in a rural community that experienced a maternity unit closure. Includes data comparisons of rural maternity care center (MCC) versus suburban tertiary care center patient demographics, delivery outcomes, and patient experiences. Discusses policy efforts to improve access to rural maternal health.
Author(s): Kathryn Wouk, Ellen Chetwynd, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1),102
Date: 01/2026
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Update: The Expanding Maternity Care Desert in Pennsylvania
Provides an overview of labor and delivery services in rural Pennsylvania and implications of limited access to maternity care. Features county-level maps showing locations of Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units and areas that are a 20-minute drive from a labor and delivery unit, as of 2026.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Provides an overview of labor and delivery services in rural Pennsylvania and implications of limited access to maternity care. Features county-level maps showing locations of Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units and areas that are a 20-minute drive from a labor and delivery unit, as of 2026.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services in the United States by County, 2010–2023: A State-by-State Report
Provides national, state, and county-specific information on changes in obstetric care access from 2010-2023. Displays county-level maps of changes in hospital-based services availability between 2010-2023, highlighting changes from 2022 to 2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Provides national, state, and county-specific information on changes in obstetric care access from 2010-2023. Displays county-level maps of changes in hospital-based services availability between 2010-2023, highlighting changes from 2022 to 2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Maternal Health Access and Workforce Capacity in Rural Hawaii: Focus Group Findings Report
Discusses how maternal and infant health access and workforce availability vary across Hawaii's islands via focus group discussion of healthcare providers and other interested parties. Highlights barriers related to affordability, travel, workforce pathways, and more.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Hawaii State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Hawaii State Rural Health Association
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Discusses how maternal and infant health access and workforce availability vary across Hawaii's islands via focus group discussion of healthcare providers and other interested parties. Highlights barriers related to affordability, travel, workforce pathways, and more.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Hawaii State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Hawaii State Rural Health Association
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Improving Maternal Mental Health in Women With Serious Mental Illness
Report highlights gaps in maternal mental healthcare access and highlights promising practices aimed at closing those gaps in several states. Discusses factors that affect maternal mental health access, such as screening, workforce, training, and peer support, among others.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report highlights gaps in maternal mental healthcare access and highlights promising practices aimed at closing those gaps in several states. Discusses factors that affect maternal mental health access, such as screening, workforce, training, and peer support, among others.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Updated Locations of Hospitals with a Labor and Delivery Unit in Pennsylvania, 2026
County-level map showing locations of the 75 Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units, and shadings showing counties with no labor and delivery units.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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County-level map showing locations of the 75 Pennsylvania hospitals with labor and delivery units, and shadings showing counties with no labor and delivery units.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Rurality, Socioeconomic Status, and Psychosocial Health Outcomes During Pregnancy
Examines pregnancy-related depressive symptoms, quality of life, and perceived stress across socioeconomic and geographic variables. Analyzes 2020-2024 data from 497 pregnant women according to their psychosocial health with breakdowns by socioeconomic status, area deprivation index, and location of urban, micropolitan rural, or small town rural.
Author(s): Katrina L. Wilhite, Jacob Gallagher, Alex Crisp, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 26, 23
Date: 12/2025
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Examines pregnancy-related depressive symptoms, quality of life, and perceived stress across socioeconomic and geographic variables. Analyzes 2020-2024 data from 497 pregnant women according to their psychosocial health with breakdowns by socioeconomic status, area deprivation index, and location of urban, micropolitan rural, or small town rural.
Author(s): Katrina L. Wilhite, Jacob Gallagher, Alex Crisp, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 26, 23
Date: 12/2025
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The South Carolina Certified Nurse Midwife Workforce - 2022
Describes the certified nurse midwife (CNM) workforce in South Carolina using data from the 2022 nursing licensure renewal process ending April 30, 2022. Features demographics and statistics including change in the size of the South Carolina CNM workforce from 2012-2022 with breakdowns by 3 levels of population density, and a county-level map showing locations of active CNMs as of 2022, with shadings showing rural and urban counties.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
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Describes the certified nurse midwife (CNM) workforce in South Carolina using data from the 2022 nursing licensure renewal process ending April 30, 2022. Features demographics and statistics including change in the size of the South Carolina CNM workforce from 2012-2022 with breakdowns by 3 levels of population density, and a county-level map showing locations of active CNMs as of 2022, with shadings showing rural and urban counties.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
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Maternal Syphilis in Mississippi, 2013 to 2023
Results of a study of maternal syphilis in Mississippi, using birth certificate data from 2013-2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Manuela Staneva, Victoria Gholar, Thomas Dobbs
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546787
Date: 12/2025
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Results of a study of maternal syphilis in Mississippi, using birth certificate data from 2013-2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Manuela Staneva, Victoria Gholar, Thomas Dobbs
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(12), e2546787
Date: 12/2025
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State of the U.S. Maternal Health Workforce, 2025
Offers demographic and occupational data on the maternal health workforce. Data sources include various years between 2021 and 2023. Includes current and projected comparisons of the workforce with the female population of childbearing age. Table 4 includes distribution of maternal health physicians compared with the population of women of childbearing age for large metropolitan, medium metropolitan, small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas in 2023.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Offers demographic and occupational data on the maternal health workforce. Data sources include various years between 2021 and 2023. Includes current and projected comparisons of the workforce with the female population of childbearing age. Table 4 includes distribution of maternal health physicians compared with the population of women of childbearing age for large metropolitan, medium metropolitan, small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas in 2023.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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