Rural Maternal Health – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Maternal Health.
Medicaid's Role in Financing Maternity Care
Examines the characteristics of births financed by Medicaid and other payers in 2018. Describes the demographics and health status of pregnant women by insurance type, including urban versus rural residence. Provides state-by-state data on births by payer as well as the location of birth, access to prenatal care, and birth outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Examines the characteristics of births financed by Medicaid and other payers in 2018. Describes the demographics and health status of pregnant women by insurance type, including urban versus rural residence. Provides state-by-state data on births by payer as well as the location of birth, access to prenatal care, and birth outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice
Examines factors that influence maternal and newborn care in the United States, including social determinants such as geographic variability in access to birth settings. Explores challenges faced by women in rural and underserved areas. Includes statistics on infant mortality rates in 2014 with breakdowns by rural or urban locations, and county-level maps showing access to providers and hospitals offering obstetric services.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Children, Youth, and Families
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Examines factors that influence maternal and newborn care in the United States, including social determinants such as geographic variability in access to birth settings. Explores challenges faced by women in rural and underserved areas. Includes statistics on infant mortality rates in 2014 with breakdowns by rural or urban locations, and county-level maps showing access to providers and hospitals offering obstetric services.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Children, Youth, and Families
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Rural-Urban Differences In Severe Maternal Morbidity And Mortality In The US, 2007–15
Analyzes severe maternal morbidity and mortality among rural and urban residents during childbirth. Examines data from the 2007-2015 National Inpatient Sample with breakdowns according to age, insurance type, race/ethnicity, income, Census region, and rurality. Discusses policy implications and strategies to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Carrie Henning-Smith, Lindsay K. Admon
Citation: Health Affairs, 38, 12
Date: 12/2019
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Analyzes severe maternal morbidity and mortality among rural and urban residents during childbirth. Examines data from the 2007-2015 National Inpatient Sample with breakdowns according to age, insurance type, race/ethnicity, income, Census region, and rurality. Discusses policy implications and strategies to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Carrie Henning-Smith, Lindsay K. Admon
Citation: Health Affairs, 38, 12
Date: 12/2019
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Severe Maternal Morbidity and Hospital Transfer Among Rural Residents
Examines hospital transfer rates for rural and urban residents before and after childbirth and the relationship of transfer status and severe maternal morbidity and mortality.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Alexandria Kristensen-Cabrera, Carrie Henning-Smith, Regan Theiler
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examines hospital transfer rates for rural and urban residents before and after childbirth and the relationship of transfer status and severe maternal morbidity and mortality.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Alexandria Kristensen-Cabrera, Carrie Henning-Smith, Regan Theiler
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Maternal Characteristics and Infant Outcomes in Appalachia and the Delta
Compares maternal characteristics and poor infant outcomes for women and children in the Delta and Appalachia regions with the rest of the United States. Includes charts showing distribution of births, preterm births, and infant mortality with data broken down by maternal characteristics.
Additional links: Supplemental Tables
Author(s): Anne Driscoll, Danielle Ely
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 68(11)
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Compares maternal characteristics and poor infant outcomes for women and children in the Delta and Appalachia regions with the rest of the United States. Includes charts showing distribution of births, preterm births, and infant mortality with data broken down by maternal characteristics.
Additional links: Supplemental Tables
Author(s): Anne Driscoll, Danielle Ely
Citation: National Vital Statistics Reports, 68(11)
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities
Highlights the issues affecting access to healthcare for women in rural communities before, during, and after pregnancy. Demonstrates the need for national, state, and community organizations to work together to develop a plan to improve access to care and the outcomes for rural women and their babies.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Highlights the issues affecting access to healthcare for women in rural communities before, during, and after pregnancy. Demonstrates the need for national, state, and community organizations to work together to develop a plan to improve access to care and the outcomes for rural women and their babies.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A Conversation on Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities: Charting a Path to Improved Access, Quality and Outcomes
Provides a recording of a day-long forum on maternal health access in rural communities. Addresses statistics on maternal health access, disparities in access and mortality rates, healthcare quality, models of care, state and federal policies related to maternal health, and more.
Additional links: Agenda, External Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides a recording of a day-long forum on maternal health access in rural communities. Addresses statistics on maternal health access, disparities in access and mortality rates, healthcare quality, models of care, state and federal policies related to maternal health, and more.
Additional links: Agenda, External Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Health Research Recap: State of Rural Women's Healthcare Utilization and Health Indicators
Summarizes rural and urban statistics describing health indicators and healthcare utilization for women, maternal and obstetric healthcare services, and maternal substance use. Includes information regarding barriers to accessing care.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Summarizes rural and urban statistics describing health indicators and healthcare utilization for women, maternal and obstetric healthcare services, and maternal substance use. Includes information regarding barriers to accessing care.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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HRSA Maternal Mortality Summit: Promising Global Practices to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes Technical Report
Compiles key findings from a three-day summit, Promising Global Practices to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes, that includes reports, presentations, discussion, and other resources to improve maternal health outcomes from experts in the field. Provides an overview of maternal health, morbidity, and mortality in the United States. Covers the limited access to obstetric healthcare services women living in rural areas face.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Compiles key findings from a three-day summit, Promising Global Practices to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes, that includes reports, presentations, discussion, and other resources to improve maternal health outcomes from experts in the field. Provides an overview of maternal health, morbidity, and mortality in the United States. Covers the limited access to obstetric healthcare services women living in rural areas face.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Access to Rural Maternity Care
Policy paper describing obstetric care for rural women in the U.S. Covers challenges to providing access to rural maternity care, such as healthcare quality, birth outcomes, workforce shortages, access, and financial challenges. Includes discussion on policy alternatives and considerations to address workforce issues, barriers to practicing obstetrics in rural areas, and increasing access to maternity care services.
Author(s): Britta Anderson, Adam Gingery, Maeve McClellan, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy paper describing obstetric care for rural women in the U.S. Covers challenges to providing access to rural maternity care, such as healthcare quality, birth outcomes, workforce shortages, access, and financial challenges. Includes discussion on policy alternatives and considerations to address workforce issues, barriers to practicing obstetrics in rural areas, and increasing access to maternity care services.
Author(s): Britta Anderson, Adam Gingery, Maeve McClellan, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Last Updated: 5/20/2025