As highlighted in OBHG’s Maternal Health Impact Report, maternal access is one of the most critical and increasingly fragile components of safe care delivery.
In many communities, maternal care isn’t just strained, it’s disappearing.
Rural hospitals are closing maternity units. Urban safety-net systems are struggling to staff them. For patients, this often means traveling hours for prenatal visits or delivering far from home, family, and support.
Access isn’t a convenience issue. It is a safety issue.
OBHG’s impact shows what happens when access is protected:
• 36,278 prenatal visits delivered in maternity care deserts
• 36,814 additional patients served in low-access counties
• 1,608 infant deaths avoided
• $804 million in access-driven societal value
But the human story matters most.
Access means fewer women delaying care because of distance. It means fewer emergency deliveries after long drives. It means families staying together instead of navigating fragmented systems far from home.
For hospitals, maintaining access does more than serve the community:
• It sustains maternity service lines in vulnerable regions
• It strengthens trust with patients and local leaders
• It creates more predictable, resilient operations
When maternal care disappears from a community, the effects ripple outward—for families, clinicians, and the hospital itself. When care stays local, those ripples reverse.
Protecting access isn’t just about keeping doors open. It’s about keeping outcomes intact.
Explore more insights on protecting maternal care access and strengthening hospital sustainability on our Industry Insights page.
Learn how hospitals are protecting maternal care access in vulnerable and rural communities—without sacrificing sustainability—through OBHG’s Maternal Health Access Solutions (MHAS) program.