Rural Maternal Health – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Nov 19, 2024 - A Des Moines, Iowa area hospital is using a helicopter service to reach pregnant women in need of emergency specialized care. The program is offered statewide, particularly in areas with few or no obstetricians, in response to a shortage of maternity care in Iowa.
Source: KCRG
Nov 11, 2024 - Highlights challenges for rural Washington healthcare facilities in offering labor and delivery services. Discusses challenges with maintaining healthcare quality, maternal care deserts, financial challenges and sustainability, and the impact of labor and delivery services on community vitality.
Source: Washington State Standard
Nov 1, 2024 - Announcement of new policies included in the 2025 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center final rule. Describes updated health and safety requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to improve and expand access to quality maternal and behavioral health care. Notes policy changes including updated payment rates, staffing standards, quality assessments, training requirements, and expanded coverage for services provided outside the "four walls" of behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Oct 31, 2024 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection titled "Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Jurisdictional Survey Instrument for the Title V MCH Block Grant Program, OMB No. 0906-0042—Revision." The MCH Jurisdictional Survey is designed to produce data on the physical and emotional health of mothers and children under 18 years of age in the following eight jurisdictions—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, Puerto Rico, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Proposed revisions include further updates to survey questions to align with new Federal data standards, including updated guidance from OMB on collecting information on race and ethnicity. Comments are due by December 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 30, 2024 - Arizona's Medicaid agency is funding new on-call OB-GYN providers for rural communities. The initiative is meant to increase access to care for people in maternity care deserts. Discusses challenges with recruiting healthcare providers to rural areas and the role of mental health in mortality for pregnant and postpartum women.
Source: Cronkite News
Oct 21, 2024 - Highlights the experience of a pregnant rural Georgia woman in a maternity care desert. Discusses maternity care deserts nationally, obstetric and gynecologic care in Federally Qualified Health Centers, general health disparities in areas with limited access to healthcare, and increasing the healthcare workforce for rural areas.
Source: WABE, PBS, NPR
Oct 15, 2024 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announcing modifications to the organization of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). This reorganization establishes the Office of Strategy, Innovation, and External Affairs and the Division of Women's Health.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 9, 2024 - Announces new funding across 15 states for identifying and implementing strategies to address the maternal health. The funding will allow State Maternal Health Innovation programs to identify the drivers of maternal mortality and implement tailored programs to address those drivers. Offers examples of these programs including access to training for rural and frontier hospitals without an obstetrics department. Also notes other maternal health initiatives from the Health Resource & Services Administration.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Sep 24, 2024 - Announces funding for supporting rural health care from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The funding prioritizes maternal health, behavioral health, and expanding access to care.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sep 23, 2024 - Highlights ongoing research on reducing postpartum depression with a focus on barriers to care in rural Ohio.
Source: The Ohio Newsroom
Last Updated: 11/20/2024