Rural hospitals are losing maternal health services at an accelerating rate, with 58% now lacking obstetrics
A new report from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found that hospitals in rural America are rapidly losing obstetric services, at the risk of new and expecting mothers. The erosion of maternal healthcare options is happening at an accelerating rate.
According to the report, between 2010 and 2024, 718 hospitals nationwide experienced the closure of OB/GYN services or a total hospital closure, leaving patients without an option. Worse yet, 9% of those losses happened in just 2023 to 2024 alone.
In 2023, 36,000 births happened in hospitals that only a year later were totally without obstetrics, the researchers looking at publicly available data wrote.
That accounts for almost 7,000 births in rural hospitals, 1.4% of all of the new babies born nationwide.
But the issue began before 2023. Between 2010 and 2024, 14% of all hospitals dropped their natal care units. In rural areas, that number jumps to 16%. To make the picture whole, 42% of rural healthcare facilities were completely without obstetric services during that time,
By 2024, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center researchers estimate that 57.5% of all rural hospitals offered no OB/GYN services whatsoever, leaving new and expectant mothers without a specialist.
The issue varied by state, but the trend of elimination was consistent. In 2010, 50% of rural hospitals in 12 states were operating without obstetric services. By 2024, that 50% statistic applied to 31 states.
Urban outlook also bleak
It isn’t just rural healthcare facilities seeing a rollback in services. While only 2 states lacked OB/GYN specialists at a rate of 50% in 2010, that number increased to 15 states by 2024.
Further, the gradual reduction from 2010 to 2024 impacted urban hospitals, with 13% dropping the specialty. Before that, 30% already lacked them for one reason or another.
All the same, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center said facilities in underserved, low-population areas are experiencing the loss disproportionately.
For more, read the full inaugural report from the university by clicking here.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.