National Rural Health Day is an annual occasion that shines a spotlight on the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities across the United States. This year, as we reflect on the importance of accessible and quality healthcare in rural areas, it is key to acknowledge the meaningful role that Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) clinicians play in supporting the well-being of expectant mothers and their newborns.
Maternal health in rural America
Maternal health in rural America presents its own set of challenges, including limited access to healthcare facilities, transportation issues, and shortages of healthcare professionals. These barriers can lead to delayed prenatal care, increased maternal mortality rates, and challenges in addressing maternal health disparities.
How OBHG is addressing challenges in rural communities
“Every day you turn on the news and read or hear of a labor and delivery unit closing somewhere,” said Jami Walker, OBHG vice president of Maternal Health Access. “Lack of access to care is a crisis in this country. Ob Hospitalist Group traditionally practices within four walls of a hospital. But after the crisis has grown to where it is today, we’ve identified a greater need to serve in communities across the country that otherwise wouldn’t be able to serve their women, through our Maternal Health Access Solutions.”
OBHG is working with rural hospitals to fill in the gaps, by offering flexible OB/GYN solutions to help hospitals maintain or extend their women’s services, improve maternal care outcomes, keep patients in the community and support nurses and physicians. This may involve solutions such as helping in the clinic, providing care in the labor and delivery unit, or bringing in care providers such as nurse practitioners or certified nurse midwives. Especially in rural communities where obstetricians and other women’s health providers are in short supply, OBHG is doing the right thing for patients by helping to positively impact outcomes and bridging gaps, so women don’t have to travel great distances for care.
National Rural Health Day: A call to action
Maternal health is a cornerstone of community well-being. As we celebrate National Rural Health Day, it is crucial to recognize the progress made in maternal health and the role of women’s health care providers in rural communities. However, it also serves as a call to action to address the remaining challenges. This includes advocating for increased resources, fostering partnerships between healthcare organizations, and supporting initiatives that aim to expand access to maternal healthcare services in rural areas.
Read more about OBHG’s Maternal Health Access Solutions and our commitment to deliver quality, equitable access to women’s healthcare in rural communities. If you are a clinician driven to serve women in underserved communities and you’d like to learn more about our MHAS career roles, click here to learn more and get in touch.