Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
How a Father-Daughter Team is Strengthening Rural Maternity Care
A podcast episode that shares the story of two physicians, father and daughter, who provide maternal healthcare in rural Wisconsin. Discusses community-based care, family, and the connected nature of healthcare in rural communities.
Author(s): Kevin Carr, Melissa Carr, Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast episode that shares the story of two physicians, father and daughter, who provide maternal healthcare in rural Wisconsin. Discusses community-based care, family, and the connected nature of healthcare in rural communities.
Author(s): Kevin Carr, Melissa Carr, Tom Haederle, Julia Resnick
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Travel Time to Delivery Facilities for Arkansas Mothers
Infographic on travel times to maternal care services in Arkansas and the impact of labor and delivery unit closures on access to care. Includes comparisons between 2019 and 2024 at the state level, and provides data on median minutes traveled to delivery facilities by county.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Infographic on travel times to maternal care services in Arkansas and the impact of labor and delivery unit closures on access to care. Includes comparisons between 2019 and 2024 at the state level, and provides data on median minutes traveled to delivery facilities by county.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs: Strategies & Considerations Webinar
A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to improve financial sustainability of rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Focuses on financial performance, reimbursement opportunities, and operational models identified in the Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs report. Transcript available below transcription.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Kristin L. Reiter, Madeleine Pick
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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A recorded webinar that discusses strategies to improve financial sustainability of rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Focuses on financial performance, reimbursement opportunities, and operational models identified in the Sustaining Rural Labor & Delivery Programs report. Transcript available below transcription.
Author(s): Eric Shell, Kristin L. Reiter, Madeleine Pick
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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2010-2024 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 2010-2024. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Emily C. Sheffield, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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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 2010-2024. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Emily C. Sheffield, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Environmental Supports, Expectations, and Barriers to Leisure-Time Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Rural–Urban Comparison
Discusses leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy among rural and urban populations. Utilizes data from 374 pregnant women regarding their LTPA and related environmental support for LTPA in the first trimester with data broken down according to demographics as well as urban, micropolitan, or small town rural location.
Author(s): Carly Williamson Rogers, Alex Crisp, Katrina Wilhite, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70166
Date: 05/2026
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Discusses leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy among rural and urban populations. Utilizes data from 374 pregnant women regarding their LTPA and related environmental support for LTPA in the first trimester with data broken down according to demographics as well as urban, micropolitan, or small town rural location.
Author(s): Carly Williamson Rogers, Alex Crisp, Katrina Wilhite, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70166
Date: 05/2026
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Challenges Associated With Rural-Urban Stratification for Generalizing Birth Outcomes: Insights From the ECHO Cohort
Analyzes the validity of preterm birth (PTB) prevalence and generalizability related to rural versus urban stratification within the Environmental influences on Child health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Examines PTB prevalence during the 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 ECHO cohorts as compared to county-level PTB prevalence from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), further broken down by rural versus urban location and demographic variables. Discusses similarities and differences in PTB prevalence proportions using ECHO versus NCHS and the importance of further context when defining rural places.
Author(s): Daniel Beene, Debra A. MacKenzie, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70163
Date: 05/2026
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Analyzes the validity of preterm birth (PTB) prevalence and generalizability related to rural versus urban stratification within the Environmental influences on Child health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Examines PTB prevalence during the 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 ECHO cohorts as compared to county-level PTB prevalence from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), further broken down by rural versus urban location and demographic variables. Discusses similarities and differences in PTB prevalence proportions using ECHO versus NCHS and the importance of further context when defining rural places.
Author(s): Daniel Beene, Debra A. MacKenzie, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70163
Date: 05/2026
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One Nation, Two Rural Health Crises: Georgia and Texas Show Why Local Data-Informed Solutions Matter
Discusses how local conditions, including socioeconomic pressures, chronic disease prevalence, and limited access to care, differently influence rural health needs and solutions in Georgia and Texas. Includes discussion of maternal health disparities and chronic disease prevalence as key topics requiring different solutions in different states.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: PCCI
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Discusses how local conditions, including socioeconomic pressures, chronic disease prevalence, and limited access to care, differently influence rural health needs and solutions in Georgia and Texas. Includes discussion of maternal health disparities and chronic disease prevalence as key topics requiring different solutions in different states.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: PCCI
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Alabama Vital Statistics, 2023
Statistics on births, deaths, marriage, and population in Alabama in 2023. Includes birth rate, maternal demographics and characteristics, causes of death, divorces and annulments, population estimates, and more. Provides county-by-county data, including county-level maps.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Public Health
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Statistics on births, deaths, marriage, and population in Alabama in 2023. Includes birth rate, maternal demographics and characteristics, causes of death, divorces and annulments, population estimates, and more. Provides county-by-county data, including county-level maps.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Public Health
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First Covid-19 Vaccination Rates Among Pregnant Tennessee Women by Month of Conception and Urbanization Level: March 2021 - November 2021
Describes rates of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy among Tennessee women with a live birth who conceived from March-November 2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by month and by 4 levels of population density.
Author(s): Claudia Valenzuela, Anne K. Driscoll, Elizabeth Harvey, Heather Wingate
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 8(1), 85-95
Date: 04/2026
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Describes rates of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy among Tennessee women with a live birth who conceived from March-November 2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by month and by 4 levels of population density.
Author(s): Claudia Valenzuela, Anne K. Driscoll, Elizabeth Harvey, Heather Wingate
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 8(1), 85-95
Date: 04/2026
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State Action to Improve Maternal & Child Health with the Rural Health Transformation Program: Virtual Convening of Milbank State Leadership Network Recap
Summarizes a March 2026 meeting for state legislators and executive branch leaders regarding how states are planning to use the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to address maternal and child health. Describes early implementation strategies presented by leaders from Mississippi, Indiana, and Oklahoma. Discusses how states are aligning funding, infrastructure, and community partnerships to expand access to care and improve outcomes.
Author(s): Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Summarizes a March 2026 meeting for state legislators and executive branch leaders regarding how states are planning to use the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to address maternal and child health. Describes early implementation strategies presented by leaders from Mississippi, Indiana, and Oklahoma. Discusses how states are aligning funding, infrastructure, and community partnerships to expand access to care and improve outcomes.
Author(s): Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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