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Rural Maternal Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Maternal Health.

Report to Congress: Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis in the United States: An Update from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Reports on efforts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve maternal health outcomes, including programs related to care delivery, access to care, and social factors influencing health. Presents data and discussion of maternal health trends, identifies key drivers, highlights relevant HHS programs and actions, and presents a framework to measure progress. Details rural access and outcome disparities and features rural-focused programs.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Rural-Urban Differences in Midwifery Care During Childbirth in the US
Compares rural and urban births that were midwife-attended. Highlights changes over time and locations of midwife-attended births including homes, hospitals, and more.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Alyssa H. Fritz, Julia D. Interrante
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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How a Rural Health System Continues to Provide Essential Obstetric Services
Podcast episode describing how Kittitas Valley Healthcare in rural Washington State worked to continue to provide obstetric services at its Critical Access Hospital (CAH) amid the departure of its full-time obstetric providers. Discusses the involvement of the governing board and recruitment and retention efforts.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Loss of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services in Rural Counties in the United States, 2010-2022
Infographic displaying data on the loss of hospital-based obstetric services in rural counties between 2010 and 2022. Compares changes in in-county hospital-based obstetric care by rural county type - micropolitan versus noncore - using data from the 2010-2022 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Surveys, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Provider of Services File, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Area Health Resources File.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Alyssa H. Fritz, Emily C. Sheffield
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Prepregnancy Health Care Engagement Among American Indian and Alaska Native People Before and After the Affordable Care Act
Examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on healthcare engagement in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations as compared to White populations. Utilizes 2009-2015 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data to examine Medicaid coverage, healthcare interaction and screening, family history discussions, prenatal vitamin use, and teeth cleaning in rural versus urban populations, before and after ACA implementation.
Author(s): Danielle R. Gartner, Katlyn Hettinger, Heather Howard-Bobiwash, Claire E. Margerison
Citation: Health Equity, 8(1)
Date: 05/2024
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Evaluation of the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model: Third Annual Report (Implementation Year 2)
Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's second implementation year, July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Insight Policy Research
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Health Insurance Coverage and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Abuse Screening Among Rural US Residents Who Gave Birth 2016-2020
Examines the relationship among intimate partner violence (IPV), perinatal health insurance coverage, and postpartum IPV screening in rural U.S. communities. Utilizes 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System data to analyze insurance status among rural residents, postpartum visits, and IPV screenings.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Alyssa H. Fritz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 655-663
Date: 05/2024
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Navigating Geographical Disparities: Access to Obstetric Hospitals in Maternity Care Deserts and Across the United States
Examines disparities related to maternity care access by analyzing travel distances to obstetric care across the United States. Provides data to nearest obstetric hospital by census tract, with further breakdowns according to maternity care desert (MCD) designation, rurality, race/ethnicity, and travel time. Includes U.S. maps showing spatial clusters of distance and travel time to obstetric care.
Author(s): Jazmin Fontenot, Christina Brigance, Ripley Lucas, Ashley Stoneburner
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24, 350
Date: 05/2024
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Disparities in Maternal Health Visits Between Rural and Urban Communities in the United States, 2016–2018
Analyzes data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System between 2016 and 2018 to compare rural and urban differences in prepregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum healthcare access and quality for 103,425 patients in 40 states, New York City, and Puerto Rico. Includes a rural and urban break down of patient demographics, insurance status, and chronic conditions. Discusses the role telehealth may play in closing gaps in care.
Author(s): Burcu Bozkurt, Arrianna Marie Planey, Monisa Aijaz, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal, 28(2), 36-46
Date: 04/2024
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Meeting Essential Health Services And Reimagining Obstetrics In A Rural Community
Case study profiling Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) in rural Washington. Describes how KVH implemented a new staffing model to maintain essential obstetrics and gynecological care.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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