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Resources by Topic: Maternal health workforce

Mapping the Location of Health Centers in Relation to "Maternity Care Deserts": Associations With Utilization of Women's Health Providers and Services
Explores the association between community health centers' (CHC) distance to a maternity care desert (MCD) and use of maternity-related healthcare services. Discusses the effects of rural hospital closures and provider shortages on patients' access to maternity care. Includes a county-level MCD map and county-level and CHC-level statistics related to MCDs.
Author(s): Anne R. Markus, Drishti Pillai
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S434-S440
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Restoring Access to Maternity Care in Rural America
Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Texas Women and Women's Health Providers: Metro v. Non-Metro
Report on the number of women's health providers in rural and urban areas of Texas. Includes a county-level breakdown of the ratio of providers per 100,000 people as well as counties with no providers. Also includes a comparison of the number of types of providers and average ages between rural and urban areas.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Comparison of Maternity Care Training in Family Medicine Residencies 2013 and 2019: A CERA Program Directors Study
Results of a study to examine the effects of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's 2014 update requiring obstetrical experience during family medicine residency training to be changed from a volume-based to a competency-based requirement of 200 hours. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of community size, ranging from less than 30,000 to more than one million.
Author(s): Julia Fashner, Christina Cavanagh, Aimee Eden
Citation: Family Medicine, 53(5), 331-337
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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Projections of Supply and Demand for Women's Health Service Providers: 2018-2030
Presents projections of supply and demand for obstetricians/gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and discusses the contribution of family medicine physicians in the delivery of women's health services. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bureau of Health Workforce, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis
Documentation of a March 23, 2021, House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on maternal health disparities. Discusses causes and possible policy options to reduce these disparities.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
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Rural Obstetric Unit Closures and Maternal and Infant Health
Policy paper examining the discontinuation of obstetric services in rural communities. Discusses factors contributing to obstetric unit closures, including hospital financial constraints, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and maternal health workforce concerns. Offers policy recommendations to prevent additional obstetric unit closures in rural areas.
Author(s): Lindsay Corcoran, Catherine Clary, Sarah Brinkman
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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The Essential Role of Family Physicians in Providing Cesarean Sections in Rural Communities
Policy brief describing percentages of family physicians (FPs) providing obstetric services and cesarean deliveries as the primary surgeon, using data from the 2017 and 2018 American Board of Family Medicine's Family Medicine Certification Examination registration questionnaire for FPs seeking to continue their certification. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, micropolitan, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Sebastian T. Tong, Aimee R. Eden, Zachary J. Morgan, Andrew W. Bazemore, Lars E. Peterson
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 34(1), 10-11
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Emergency Obstetric Training Needed in Rural Hospitals without Obstetric Units
Results of a survey of 47 nurse managers and emergency department administrators from rural hospitals without obstetric care. Examines the types of trainings and resources that would better prepare these hospitals to handle obstetric emergencies.
Author(s): Mary Gilbertson, Mariana Story Tuttle, Kristin DeArruda Wharton, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Models of Success in Rural Maternity Care: Kearny County Hospital
Profiles the maternity program at Kearny County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in rural Lakin, Kansas. Describes key features of the program including mission-based recruitment and strong communication. Includes recommendations for emulating this model.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mary Gilbertson
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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