Rural hospitals play a critical role in their communities, but many face increasing difficulties in maintaining obstetric services. From physician shortages to financial pressures, sustaining labor and delivery programs is an ongoing challenge. In a recent episode of The Obstetrics Podcast, Dr. Garrick Slate, an OB/GYN clinician and market medical director with OB Hospitalist Group (OBHG), and Brandon Reece, Executive Director of Physician Practices at Magnolia Regional Health Center, shared insights on these challenges and how Magnolia has adapted.
Temporary solutions and ongoing struggles
Located in Corinth, Mississippi, Magnolia Regional Health Center serves a six-county rural region. Recruiting OB/GYNs to a rural area is difficult, and with only two employed OBs, the hospital struggled to maintain 24/7 call coverage. They relied on locum tenens physicians, but inconsistent coverage and frequent rotations disrupted continuity of care.
When one of their OB/GYNs left, Magnolia faced an urgent need for additional coverage. Rather than relying on temporary fixes, the hospital sought a sustainable model that included both call coverage and full clinic support to ensure consistent care for their community.
Strengthening care and patient outcomes
Since restructuring its obstetric coverage, Magnolia has seen significant improvements in patient care, with reductions in early elective deliveries and primary C-sections. Patient satisfaction has also increased, reaching the 90th percentile in the most recent quarter.
Dr. Slate emphasized that long-term, dedicated providers improve continuity of care and foster a strong collaboration between hospital leadership and clinical teams—critical factors in ensuring high-quality maternity care in rural settings.
Preparing for the future
Magnolia’s challenges reflect those faced by rural hospitals nationwide. Reece stressed that hospital leaders must proactively plan for the future rather than waiting until they reach a crisis point.
“If you don’t have a vision for how you expand the longevity of your program by looking over the horizon to see what’s coming, you can’t catch up if you get behind,” he says.
To hear more about Magnolia Regional Health Center’s approach to sustaining obstetric care, listen to the full episode of The Obstetrics Podcast here. To learn more about how Ob Hospitalist Group partners with small or rural hospitals to strengthen OB/GYN care in their communities, visit our website.