Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care
Collaborations Between Local Public Health and Healthcare: A Case Study Series Highlighting Rural Success Stories
Presents case studies highlighting successful collaborations between rural-serving local health departments and local healthcare organizations, focusing on purposes, structures, challenges, and lessons learned. Features programs in Oregon, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Stephanie M. Mathis, Kayla M. Alvis, Benjamin Pelton, et al.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organizations: East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, The Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health
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Presents case studies highlighting successful collaborations between rural-serving local health departments and local healthcare organizations, focusing on purposes, structures, challenges, and lessons learned. Features programs in Oregon, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Stephanie M. Mathis, Kayla M. Alvis, Benjamin Pelton, et al.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organizations: East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health and Research, The Consortium for Workforce Research in Public Health
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Reducing Rates of Cesarean Delivery in Rural US Communities: A Systematic Review of Interventions and Approaches to Care
Provides a review of literature that analyzes interventions designed to reduce rural cesarean birth disparities. Discusses 9 studies and outlines their patient-, provider-, or health system-level interventions and focuses on strategies tailored for rural health.
Author(s): Jena L. Funakoshi, Hannah M. Collins-Doijode, Kathryn L. Braun
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 07/2026
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Provides a review of literature that analyzes interventions designed to reduce rural cesarean birth disparities. Discusses 9 studies and outlines their patient-, provider-, or health system-level interventions and focuses on strategies tailored for rural health.
Author(s): Jena L. Funakoshi, Hannah M. Collins-Doijode, Kathryn L. Braun
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 07/2026
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Voices From the Field: Informing Maternal Child Health Navigator Training Through Rural Practice Insights
Presents a study on Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Navigators on their perception of their preparedness for providing trauma-informed care, substance use support, and addressing drivers of health in rural Texas communities. Explores MCH Navigators' assessment of the efficacy of their training and real-world experience to prepare them for the maternal health challenges in rural communities.
Author(s): Sharon L. Dormire, Cassidy S. Doucet, Nydia Garcia, Robin Page
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 07/2026
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Presents a study on Maternal-Child Health (MCH) Navigators on their perception of their preparedness for providing trauma-informed care, substance use support, and addressing drivers of health in rural Texas communities. Explores MCH Navigators' assessment of the efficacy of their training and real-world experience to prepare them for the maternal health challenges in rural communities.
Author(s): Sharon L. Dormire, Cassidy S. Doucet, Nydia Garcia, Robin Page
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 07/2026
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Beyond Maternal Mortality: How Severe Morbidity Reveals Policy Gaps in Maternal Care
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Whole Person Care During and After Pregnancy
Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral healthcare, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral healthcare, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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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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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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A Study Pursuant to (Pennsylvania) Senate Resolution 27: Feasibility of a No-Fault Catastrophic Loss Fund for Birth-Related Neurological Injuries
Results of a study on the possibility of establishing a fund for claims brought due to birth-related neurological injuries in Pennsylvania. Discusses the disparity between obstetric care in urban and rural areas and the decreased access to maternity care due to closures of labor and delivery (L&D) units. Contains various statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing availability of L&D units and travel times to birthing hospitals.
Author(s): Stevi Sprenkle, Stephen Kramer, Shanika Mitchell-Saint Jean, Amy Hockenberry, James Wynne
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
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Results of a study on the possibility of establishing a fund for claims brought due to birth-related neurological injuries in Pennsylvania. Discusses the disparity between obstetric care in urban and rural areas and the decreased access to maternity care due to closures of labor and delivery (L&D) units. Contains various statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing availability of L&D units and travel times to birthing hospitals.
Author(s): Stevi Sprenkle, Stephen Kramer, Shanika Mitchell-Saint Jean, Amy Hockenberry, James Wynne
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
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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.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
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.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
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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