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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Maternal Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Maternal Health.

Racial and Ethnic and Rural Variations in the Use of Hybrid Prenatal Care in the US
Examines how factors of race/ethnicity, location, and telehealth restriction waivers during COVID-19 impact the uptake of hybrid prenatal care. Provides demographic breakdowns related to telehealth use of women during pregnancy and the COVID-19 public health emergency, with additional data on health conditions, U.S. region, and urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Jiani Yu, Sayward E. Harrison, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(12)
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
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State of the U.S. Maternal Health Workforce, 2024
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 7 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 2022.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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National Rural Health Day Episode: Addressing Rural Maternal Health Disparities, with Kristen Dillon
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Kristen Dillon, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Federal Office for Rural Health Policy. Provides an overview of the current state of rural maternal health, including access barriers and disparities in health outcomes, as well as exploring the ways that the Health Resources and Services Administration is working to improve outcomes for rural mothers.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Culturally-Safe Maternal Care for Indigenous Women
Podcast episode discussing the role that culturally safe care can play in addressing maternal healthcare needs among Indigenous women. Describes the importance of awareness of cultural and spiritual practices in creating a safe cultural environment for Indigenous women.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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CY 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1809-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; incorporating an add-on payment to the Medicare outpatient hospital all-inclusive rate (AIR) for certain high-cost drugs for people with Medicare who receive care at Indian Health Service (IHS) or tribal hospitals; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; a new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services; Medicaid and CHIP continuous eligibility; Medicaid clinic services "four walls" exceptions; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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'A Silent, Unmet Need': Rural Motherhood and the Challenges of Postpartum Care
Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Maternal Health Chartbook 2010–2019
Analyzes data from the National Inpatient Sample from between 2010 and 2019 to highlight trends in maternal health related to diabetes, hypertension, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and severe maternal morbidity. Includes data by expected payer, patient characteristics, and geography. Includes large metropolitan, medium/small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan comparisons throughout.
Author(s): Lawrence Reid, Kimberly Marin, Jessica Monnet
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Trends in Severe Maternal Morbidity Complications by Patient Characteristics, 2016–2021
Examines severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in U.S. women by patient characteristics and type of SMM complication. Utilizes 2016-2021 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data to analyze yearly trends, with breakdowns for patient age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, income, and residence by large metro, medium/small metro, or nonmetro. Discusses impacts of COVID-19 on SMM trends.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project
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States Could Better Leverage Coverage and Access Requirements To Promote Maternal Health Care Access in Medicaid Managed Care
Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccination and Receipt of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Antibody (Nirsevimab) by Infants Aged <8 Months — United States, April 2024
Reports on maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination and administration of RSV antibody (nirsevimab) to infants. Includes data by location of residence for rural and nonrural areas.
Author(s): Hilda Razzaghi, Emma Garacci, Katherine E. Kahn, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(38), 837-843
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Last Updated: 12/9/2024