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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

Implementation of a Maternal Child Knowledgebase
Describes the development and implementation of the Maternal-Child Knowledgebase (MCK), an Obstetrics and Gynecology-focused enterprise data warehouse that integrates pregnancy and care data for patients of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics to facilitate maternal and women's health surveillance and research. Offers an overview of the MCK architecture, interface, security, and data governance, and notes the need for maternal and child health data to address rural disparities.
Author(s): Donna A. Santillan, Mark K. Santillan, Heather A. Davis, et al.
Citation: AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings Archive, 2022, 432-438
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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"Nobody Talks about It": Preconception Health and Care among Women in the Rural, Midwestern United States
Explores perceptions of rural, Midwestern women of reproductive age regarding their healthcare needs. Includes demographic breakdowns and qualitative data from 19 women living in rural Ohio who participated in interviews from May-June 2021. Discusses themes such as healthcare and resource needs, preconception/interconception care, health literacy surrounding women's health, and interventions such as education and outreach.
Author(s): Akia D Clark, Natalie A DiPietro Mager
Citation: Women's Health, 18
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Differences in Maternal Mortality Trends in the US, 1999–2017: Accounting for the Impact of the Pregnancy Status Checkbox
Examines maternal mortality ratios (MMRs) from 1999 to 2017 by maternal residence of large urban area, medium/small urban area, or rural area. Discusses the impact on recorded MMRs of including a pregnancy status checkbox on death certificates. Includes data breakdowns by maternal residence, race/ethnicity, and age.
Author(s): Lauren M. Rossen, Katherine A. Ahrens, Lindsay S. Womack, Sayeedha F.G. Uddin, Amy M. Branum
Citation: American Journal of Epidemiology, 191(6), 1030-1039
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Evaluation of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program: 2019 Cohort - Second Annual Report
Reports on the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program 2019 cohort's first implementation year, 2020-2021. Describes the program, the need for increased access to maternal and obstetric care in rural areas, and the program's strategic goals. Provides an overview of the 3 RMOMS awardees in Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas, including network characteristics, model and goals, health equity efforts, sustainability, and maternal health outcomes.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Advancing Rural Maternal Health Equity
Summarizes the activities implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health between June 2019 and November 2021 as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative. Outlines next steps to address rural maternal health disparities. Includes potential solutions for rural providers and stakeholders from the Rural Obstetric Readiness Workgroup.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Geocoding Precision of Birth Records From 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA
Examines geocoding precision of birth records in Kentucky from 2008 to 2017 according to metro, non-metro, and rural location. Includes demographic information about mother and father and related discussions about rural, racial, and ethnic health disparities regarding environmental exposures during pregnancy.
Author(s): Courtney J. Walker, Steven R. Browning, Jeffrey E. Levy, W. Jay Christian
Citation: Geospatial Health, 17, 1020
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Arizona Border Special Area (SArea) 2021 Statistical Profile
Reports statistical data from the Arizona Department of Health Services' Bureau of Women and Children's Health on the demographics, healthcare utilization, natality and infant mortality of populations in border areas in Arizona compared to the rest of the state. Includes data on health workforce to population ratios and healthcare facilities and services.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Arizona Bureau of Health Systems Development, Bureau of Women and Children's Health
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Health Policy Fact Sheet: Racial and Geographic Disparities In Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
Provides an overview of the racial and geographic healthcare disparities in Ohio related to maternal morbidity and mortality. Discusses the need for access to prenatal care, eliminating toxic stress, and utilizing evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal healthcare disparities. Includes discussions specific to rural communities as well as maternal morbidity data broken down by urban, Appalachian, suburban, and rural.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Access to Maternity and Obstetric Care in Rural Pennsylvania
Examines access to maternity care in rural Pennsylvania, using federal- and state-level data to determine the distribution of birthing facilities and birth attendants. Includes a workforce analysis to forecast the supply of and demand for care providers and to identify gaps where supply will not meet demand. Provides a survey of stakeholders and key informants, to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and solutions to improving access to maternity care.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Sharon Bernecki DeJoy, David J. Doorn
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy and Mortality at Delivery Hospitalization — United States, 2017–2019
Examines the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy among delivery hospitalizations. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (nonmetro/nonmicro) counties on prevalence of any hypertension, chronic hypertension, pregnancy-related hypertension, and unspecified maternal hypertension.
Author(s): Nicole D. Ford, Shanna Cox, Jean Y. Ko, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(17), 585–591
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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