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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Improving Access to Maternity Care in Iowa's Health Care Deserts
Examines maternal healthcare shortages and facility closures in Iowa. Discusses strategies to improve access, such as workforce training, graduate medical education, and collaborative opportunities.
Author(s): Diana Mirel
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Medical Association
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Rural–Urban Differences in Substance Use During Pregnancy
Examines perinatal substance use in rural and urban populations. Utilizes 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to analyze 3,499 pregnant women according to rural, small urban, and large urban location, as well as by demographic variables, health status, and type of substance use.
Author(s): Emma Kathryn Boswell, Olivia M. Hinds, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 03/2025
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Rural Maternal Health Interventions: A Scoping Review and Implications for Best Practices
Presents a scoping review of maternal health interventions in rural communities. Explores the efficacy of different interventions at improving maternal care and details the barriers and facilitators to implementation.
Author(s): Rachel D'Amico Gordon, Alyson Kishi, Jordyn A. Brown, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70007
Date: 03/2025
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Texas Border Health Data Overview
Presentation slides providing data on population, noncommunicable disease, mental and behavioral health, maternal and child health, and injuries in Texas's border region. Includes data comparisons between border and non-border counties.
Author(s): Rhae Cisneros
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Key Facts About Hospitals
Presents information and data on hospitals and hospital spending. Covers national hospital spending, the hospital industry, use of hospital care, out-of-pocket spending and medical debt, hospital finances, and more. Includes a section on rural hospitals, which describes the prevalence of rural hospitals, rural hospital characteristics, discharges by payer, profit margins, and openings and closings of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, Tricia Neuman
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Maternity Care in California: An Environmental Scan
Examines factors affecting declining hospital-based maternity care services in California and identifies approaches to increase access and quality of care. Includes discussion of rural hospital closures and rural quality of care challenges, and highlights rural program models in California and Alaska.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Hospital Association
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Medicaid-Covered Health Care Visits During the Postpartum Year: Variation by Enrollee Characteristics and State
Examines 2018 Medicaid claims data in 46 states to evaluate the impact of extending postpartum coverage from 60 days to 1 year. Offers comparisons by state Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion status and rural or urban residence, among other variables. Discusses access to healthcare disparities.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Claire O'Brien, Keqin Wei, Timothy A. Waidmann, Genevieve M. Kenney
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(2)
Date: 02/2025
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Chartis Center for Rural Health Research & Resources for the 2025 National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Policy Institute Conference
Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care, and Deteriorating Population Health Status, and presentation slides on this report from the 2025 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies on rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Perinatal Mental Health in Maine
Offers data from various sources, including reviews of pregnancy-associated deaths, to help health professionals, policymakers, and the public understand the current status of perinatal mental health in Maine. Includes a section on mental health needs in rural areas and a county-level map with shadings showing numbers of mental health providers per 10,000 population.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Department of Health and Human Services
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