https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/maternal-health Rural Maternal Health resources related to rural health, with information provided by the Rural Health Information Hub en Copyright 2026 Rural Health Information Hub https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/09/2026-04565/agency-forms-undergoing-paperwork-reduction-act-review The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on a proposed information collection project titled "Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)." PRAMS collects data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. CDC seeks to extend the approval for PRAMS data collection for 3 years. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38316 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:40:12 -0500 https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2026/03/06/chatham-hospital-shows-one-way-to-restore-rural-maternity-care/ Profiles a labor and delivery department in a rural North Carolina Critical Access Hospital. Maternity services were re-started in 2020 using family physicians after closing the department in 1991. Describes maternity care access across North Carolina, challenges with sustaining the service for rural communities, and how they can be a model to other rural communities. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38314 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:20:19 -0600 https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2026/25_0298.htm Examines the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) in pregnant women and the social determinants of health (SDOH). Utilizes 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data and analyzes CVH risk according to patient demographics, health behaviors, social determinants, rural residence, and more. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27449 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:48:09 -0600 https://www.flexmonitoring.org/sites/flexmonitoring.umn.edu/files/media/Reporting-and-performance-of-maternity-related-quality.pdf Describes the characteristics of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with and without labor and delivery services. Examines CAH quality reporting and performance on five key measures related to maternity care and birth outcomes. Explores relationships between maternity care quality performance and CAH characteristics such as system affiliation, volume, and location. Identifies quality measures related to maternity and birth outcomes that are most feasible and relevant for CAHs and rural hospitals. -- Flex Monitoring Team https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27445 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:21:59 -0600 https://www.flexmonitoring.org/sites/flexmonitoring.umn.edu/files/media/Delivering-quality-maternity-care-innovation-in-CAHs.pdf Presents case studies of six Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that are high performers on maternity care quality measures. Summarizes interviews with leaders from each CAH regarding the benefits of their Perinatal Quality Collaboratives, use of safety bundles, training activities, and other successes in providing maternity care. -- Flex Monitoring Team https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27431 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:01:17 -0600 https://rhrco.org/reh-resource/obstetric-care-in-rural-emergency-hospitals/ Describes how three Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) approach delivering obstetric-related care. Discusses challenges to providing obstetric services each facility faced prior to their conversion to REH status, and strategies implemented under the REH designation. Identifies common strategies these facilities take to support obstetric care without traditional labor and delivery services. -- Rural Health Redesign Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27355 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:44:49 -0600 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2844978 A research letter that discusses the availability of higher-level neonatal care in rural and urban hospitals. Analyzes changes in intermediate or intensive neonatal care availability between 2010 and 2022 in 3,257 U.S. birth hospitals according to rurality. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27352 Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:03:52 -0600 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15409996251378322 Examines the use of telehealth among pregnant and postpartum women by rural versus urban location and type of service. Utilizes 2019-2021 data to examine telehealth visits by patient characteristics, predelivery versus postpartum use, service type, and rurality. Discusses the role of telehealth to access mental health services and differences between rural and urban telehealth use. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27314 Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:46:11 -0600 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2844598 Results of a study to determine whether the National Health Service Corps's support of clinicians to work in Health Professional Shortage Areas has resulted in improved access to local childbirth care. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban counties. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27292 Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:32:13 -0600 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/23/1/102 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. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27237 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 09:58:43 -0600 https://rhrc.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2010-2023-State-by-State-Report_1.5.26_fullquality.pdf 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. -- University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27110 Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:21:17 -0600 https://www.fcc.gov/health/maps-overview Connect2Health mapping tool for visualizing broadband access, demographics, and health data at the national, state, and county levels. Includes a rural filter based on the percent of the population that is rural. Health topics include access to care, chronic disease, opioids, and maternal health. -- Federal Communications Commission https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/7003 Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:14:32 -0600 https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/State-of-U-S-Maternal-Health-Workforce.pdf 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. -- Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27037 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:20:06 -0600 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmwh.70019 Examines the Colorado Rural Midwifery Workforce Expansion Program which provides cocurricular programming for midwife trainees wishing to practice in rural areas. Discusses the impact of rural-focused maternal healthcare programs on the rural maternal health workforce supply and patient healthcare access. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27032 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:46:05 -0600 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12709018/ Examines maternal chronic disease management in rural areas of the United States. Discusses social determinants of health and maternal health disparities specific to rural areas. Provides policy, public health surveillance, and community engagement approaches to address the rural maternal health crisis. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27031 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:22:50 -0600 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12193116/ Analyzes rural versus urban disparities in perinatal smoking. Utilizes 2009-2021 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data to examine differences in smoking status according to rurality, region, demographics, social indicators, and more. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27011 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:27:06 -0600 https://assets.americashealthrankings.org/ahr_2025hwc_comprehensivereport_final-web.pdf Provides a national and state-by-state overview of the health of infants, children, and women of reproductive age. Compares rural-urban differences in mortality, severe morbidity, healthcare access, substance use, mental health conditions, and more among reproductive-age women at the national level, including a spotlight on chronic conditions among women in rural communities on document page 3. Includes maps that show concentrated disadvantage by county within each state. -- United Health Foundation https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26952 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:41:43 -0600 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13690-025-01688-z Examines maternal mortality disparities across geography and demographic characteristics. Utilizes 2000-2019 U.S. National Vital Statistics System and U.S. National Center for Health Statistics data to analyze mortality among pregnant women aged 15 to 44. Includes county-level U.S. maps showing mortality rates and discussion of mortality burden in rural areas. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26908 Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:38:10 -0600 https://www.aha.org/advancing-health-podcast/2025-12-01-when-hospital-ceo-becomes-patient-rural-maternal-care-close A conversation with Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health, focused on her experience giving birth at a rural Critical Access Hospital. Discusses high-quality maternal healthcare access in rural communities. -- American Hospital Association https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26898 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:14:25 -0600 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41372-025-02518-4 Discusses hospital and county characteristics for 89 rural hospitals offering childbirth services in 2021 based on proximity to neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Includes comparisons of characteristics for those hospitals more than and less than 30 miles from a NICU. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26858 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:54:50 -0600 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2841637 Examines severe maternal morbidity and mortality (SMMM) when labor and delivery patients bypass rural, local hospitals to give birth at urban hospitals. Analyzes 235,375 rural versus urban births in South Carolina and associated 1-year postpartum follow-up visit data for rates of SMMM. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26833 Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:07:47 -0600 https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/2025/oct/positive-outliers-how-rural-communities-maintain-access-labor-delivery Explores healthcare providers' approaches to ensuring maternal care access in rural Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Provides case studies on the role of rural hospitals and clinics in providing labor and delivery services, discusses financial and logistical challenges faced by providers, and details funding, policy, and service delivery strategies supporting continued access. -- Commonwealth Fund https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26686 Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:27:18 -0600 https://rhrc.umn.edu/publication/2010-2023-county-level-hospital-based-obstetric-care-status/ County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, county, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2023. Available for download as an XLS file. -- University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26680 Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:28:33 -0600 https://rhrc.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Methodology-brief_v2_10.31.25.pdf Results of a study using data from American Hospital Association annual surveys from 2010-2018 to conduct single- and multi-year assessments of obstetric unit status and to identify closures of obstetric units. Compares results obtained through the enhanced method with results of a survey sample of rural hospitals with obstetric units open at the time of the assessment and those with recently closed units. Addendum describes methodology updates since a previously published January 2022 report as well as additional findings using 2010-2023 data. -- University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26679 Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:04:38 -0600 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.70082 Presents a study on the financial challenges faced by rural hospitals operating obstetric units. Bases findings on survey data from hospital administrators detailing financial factors such as payer mix, fixed costs, and workforce, among other measures. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26599 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:46:09 -0500 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.70085 Examines the relationship among dietary intake during pregnancy, socioeconomic status (SES), and rural versus urban location. Analyzes screening data from 495 pregnant women with rural versus urban breakdowns according to study site; demographics; SES variables of income, education, and insurance status; and fiber intake. Discusses the impact of rurality and SES on nutrition during pregnancy. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26549 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:29:50 -0500 https://www.ncsl.org/health/boosting-maternity-care-in-rural-america Provides a brief overview of the state of maternal healthcare in rural areas. Highlights state and federal actions taken to improve access to quality maternal care and improve birth outcomes. -- National Conference of State Legislatures https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26320 Thu, 11 Sep 2025 14:03:55 -0500 https://www.flexmonitoring.org/sites/flexmonitoring.umn.edu/files/media/rural_resource_availability_of_ob_simulation_training_by_state_1.pdf Explores the availability of simulation training and continuing medical education (CME)/distance learning opportunities for both rural hospitals with obstetric units and those without obstetric units. Presents findings of an environmental scan of national, regional, and state-level obstetric training resources. Offers recommendations for ways State Flex Programs and Critical Access Hospitals can use this resource to identify applicable simulation trainings. -- Flex Monitoring Team https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26305 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:31:46 -0500 https://academic.oup.com/fampra/article/42/5/cmaf006/8249496?login=false Examines the intentions of family medicine residents, family medicine obstetrics (FMOB) fellows, and FMOB alumni related to providing pregnancy care in rural areas. Utilizes survey data from 76 respondents and provides data breakdowns on their demographics, practice characteristics, and type of pregnancy care. Discusses issues of pregnancy care access in rural areas and the associated role of FMOB professionals. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26299 Tue, 09 Sep 2025 13:25:04 -0500 https://rhrc.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rural-urban-differences-in-health_postpartum_8.27.25.pdf Presents a study on rural and urban differences in access to and utilization of healthcare for postpartum or parenting women. Highlights barriers women parents face in accessing care and utilizing care that is available. Breaks down data by age of child, barriers to care, rural versus urban location, and compares rates for postpartum and parenting women to all women aged 18-49 by rurality. -- University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/26218 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:37:48 -0500