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Rural Maternal Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Maternal Health.

Culturally-Safe Maternal Care for Indigenous Women
Podcast episode discussing the role that culturally safe care can play in addressing maternal healthcare needs among Indigenous women. Describes the importance of awareness of cultural and spiritual practices in creating a safe cultural environment for Indigenous women.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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CY 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1809-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2025. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; incorporating an add-on payment to the Medicare outpatient hospital all-inclusive rate (AIR) for certain high-cost drugs for people with Medicare who receive care at Indian Health Service (IHS) or tribal hospitals; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; a new Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services; Medicaid and CHIP continuous eligibility; Medicaid clinic services "four walls" exceptions; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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'A Silent, Unmet Need': Rural Motherhood and the Challenges of Postpartum Care
Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Maternal Health Chartbook 2010–2019
Analyzes data from the National Inpatient Sample from between 2010 and 2019 to highlight trends in maternal health related to diabetes, hypertension, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and severe maternal morbidity. Includes data by expected payer, patient characteristics, and geography. Includes large metropolitan, medium/small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan comparisons throughout.
Author(s): Lawrence Reid, Kimberly Marin, Jessica Monnet
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Trends in Severe Maternal Morbidity Complications by Patient Characteristics, 2016–2021
Examines severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in U.S. women by patient characteristics and type of SMM complication. Utilizes 2016-2021 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data to analyze yearly trends, with breakdowns for patient age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, income, and residence by large metro, medium/small metro, or nonmetro. Discusses impacts of COVID-19 on SMM trends.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project
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States Could Better Leverage Coverage and Access Requirements To Promote Maternal Health Care Access in Medicaid Managed Care
Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Maternal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccination and Receipt of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Antibody (Nirsevimab) by Infants Aged <8 Months — United States, April 2024
Reports on maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination and administration of RSV antibody (nirsevimab) to infants. Includes data by location of residence for rural and nonrural areas.
Author(s): Hilda Razzaghi, Emma Garacci, Katherine E. Kahn, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(38), 837-843
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Family Medicine Presence on Labor and Delivery: Effect on Safety Culture and Cesarean Delivery
Examines the presence of family medicine (FM) physicians and obstetricians (OBs) during labor and delivery. Utilizes survey data from 849 clinicians at 39 Iowa hospitals to analyze hospitals with FMs, OBs, or both and the association to safety culture and caesarean birth rates. Discusses the importance of FM physicians having intrapartum training and the impact on rural access to to pregnancy care.
Author(s): Emily White VanGompel, Lavisha Singh, Francesca Carlock, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 22(5), 375-382
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Innovations in Rural Obstetrics to Maintain Access to Care
Discusses closures of rural hospitals and labor and delivery services and the impact on maternity care access. Provides examples of 6 approaches to sustain obstetric care: partnerships, community-centered care, quality initiatives, culturally competent care, rural workforce development, and maternity care as an equity issue.
Author(s): Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald, Erin E. Sullivan
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Information for Rural Stakeholders About Access to Maternity and Obstetric Care: A Community-Relevant Synthesis of Research
Provides an overview of access to maternity and obstetric care in rural areas, including access to care, childbirth at rural hospitals, and rural obstetric unit closures. Summarizes research findings on healthcare quality and outcomes at low-volume obstetric units, risks associated with rural obstetric unit closures, and challenges faced by communities without hospital-based obstetric care. Describes clinical and policy efforts to improve access and quality of care for birthing people and their families in rural communities with low-volume obstetric units or lack access to hospital-based obstetric care.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Alyssa H. Fritz, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Last Updated: 11/15/2024