■ National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 

MATERNAL AND OBSTETRIC CARE 

CHALLENGES IN RURAL AMERICA 

POLICY BRIEF AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SECRETARY 

MAY 2020 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i 

CHAIR 

Jeff Colyer, MD 

Overland Park, KS 

MEMBERS 

Steve Barnett, DHA, CRNA, FACHE 

Lake Orion, MI 

Kathleen Belanger, PhD, MSW 

Nacogdoches, TX 

Robert Blancato, MPA 

Washington, DC 

Kari M. Bruffett 

Lawrence, KS 

Wayne George Deschambeau, MBA 

Greenville, OH 

Molly Dodge 

Madison, IN 

Carolyn Emanuel-McClain, MPH 

Clearwater, SC 

Meggan Grant-Nierman, DO, MBA 

Poncha Springs, CO 

Constance E. Greer 

St. Paul, MN 

George Mark Holmes, PhD 

Raleigh, NC 

Joseph Lupica, JD 

Phoenix, AZ 

Brian Myers 

Spokane, WA 

Maria Sallie Poepsel, PhD, MSN, CRNA, 

APRN 

Columbia, MO 

Mary Kate Rolf, MBA, FACHE 

Syracuse, NY 

Patricia Schou 

Princeton, IL 

Mary T. Sheridan, RN, MBA 

Boise, ID 

Benjamin Taylor, PhD, DFAAPA, PA-C 

Martinez, GA 

Robert L. Wergin, MD, FAAFP 

Milford, NE 

James Werth, Jr., PhD, ABPP 

Bristol, VA 

Loretta Wilson 

Boligee, AL 

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY 

Paul Moore, DPh 

Rockville, MD 

EDITORIAL NOTE 

During its 87th meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, the National 

Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 

(hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”) examined 

maternal health and obstetric care challenges in rural America. 

Throughout the course of the meeting, the Committee heard 

from subject matter experts on maternal health care delivery at 

the national and state levels. As part of the Committee’s 

meeting, members traveled to Macon, Georgia and Mercer 

School of Medicine. There, members heard from health and 

human service providers that serve throughout Georgia, and 

discussed the challenges and opportunities to improve maternal 

health in the state. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The Committee acknowledges all those whose participation 

helped make the May 2020 convening in Atlanta, the site visit at 

Mercer University, and this policy brief possible. 

The Committee expresses its gratitude to each of the presenters 

for their contributions to the meeting and for their subject 

matter expertise. These individuals are: Dr. Peiyin Hung 

(Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold 

School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina); Dr. 

Michael Warren (Maternal and Child Health Bureau); Carlis 

Williams (Administration of Children and Families); Dr. Jean 

Sumner (Mercer Medical School); Diane Durrence (Georgia 

Department of Public Health). 

The Committee thanks Dr. Jacob Warren and Dr. Bryant Smalley, 

and the staff at Mercer University for hosting the Maternal 

Health and Obstetric Care Challenges site visit. The Committee 

also expresses its gratitude to all the health and human services 

providers that came from across Georgia to serve on the panels. 

The information shared and conversations that developed were 

greatly appreciated. 

Finally, the Committee extends its gratitude and appreciation to 

Anne Hall for coordinating the activities of this meeting, 

summarizing the Committee’s findings, and contributing to this 

policy brief. 

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 
 

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Recommendation 1: The Committee recommends the Secretary encourage the adoption of 

comprehensive, integrative, and intensive case management within the Healthy Start, Early Head Start, 

and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. 

Recommendation 2: The Committee recommends the Secretary develop guidelines and implement 

safety and treatment protocols in rural hospitals and clinics, both with and without OB services, to 

respond to obstetric complications. In addition, the Committee recommends that the Secretary 

encourage states to utilize and implement the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) 

bundles, particularly the AIM Maternal Safety Bundle for the Reduction of Peripartum Racial/Ethnic 

Disparities. 

Recommendation 3: The Committee recommends that the Secretary enhance CDC funding for both 

the CDC Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe) program and the Enhancing Reviews and 

Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program to ensure all states have 

standardized assessments of levels of maternal and neonatal care and Maternal Mortality Review 

Committees. 

Recommendation 4: The Committee recommends that the Secretary work with states to standardize 

scope of practice laws between and within maternal health care providers, and to expand the scope of 

practice for nurse midwives. This issue is of particular concern in rural areas given the shortage of 

obstetric providers. Certified Nurse Midwives can play a critical role if allowed to practice to the extent 

of their training. 

Recommendation 5: The Committee recommends that the Secretary, in support of the Administration’s 

broader graduate medical education goals, include an expansion of the current statutory cap on 

Medicare-supported residencies that allows for support of new rural residencies in high-need areas like 

primary care and obstetrics. 

Recommendation 6: The Committee recommends that the Secretary address the obstetrical workforce 

shortage by working with Congress to increase support for the National Health Service Corps to expand 

the number of physicians, nurses and certified nurse midwives working in rural and underserved areas. 

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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 
1 

Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America ● Policy Brief ● May 2020 

INTRODUCTION 

More than 700 women a year die of complications related to pregnancy in the U.S., and two-thirds of 

these deaths are preventable.1 As of 2016, the U.S. pregnancy-related mortality ratio was 16.9 per 

100,000 live births.2 However, there are significant racial disparities within this calculated statistic (see 

Figure 1). 

Figure 1: Trends in pregnancy-related mortality ratios among race from 2007-2016.3

This figure demonstrate that maternal mortality is disproportionally affecting black and American 

Indian/Alaska Native women in the U.S. Additionally, there are disparities between rural and urban 

populations. According to publicly available data from the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) analyzed by Scientific American, rural areas had a pregnancy-related mortality ratio of 29.4 per 

100,000 live births versus 18.2 in urban areas in 2015.

4

 In Georgia, rural black women have a 30 percent 

higher maternal mortality rate than urban black women, and rural white women have a 50 percent 

higher risk than urban white women.5

 

CDC Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System data from 2011-2016 shows that the five leading causes of 

pregnancy-related deaths are cardiovascular conditions (15.7 percent ), infection/sepsis (12.5 percent ), 

cardiomyopathy (11 percent ), hemorrhage (11 percent ), and other non-cardiovascular conditions (13.9

percent ).2 When combined, cardiovascular conditions were responsible for more than one-third of 

pregnancy-related deaths from 2011-2016.2

While pregnancy-related death is highlighted to discuss the quality of maternal health care in the U.S., 

for many women, maternal morbidity is as equally concerning. In 2014, for every woman who died from 

pregnancy-related complications, seventy-one suffered from severe maternal morbidity.6 Severe 

maternal morbidity (SMM) includes unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant 

short-or long-term consequences to a woman’s health.6 SMM has been steadily increasing in recent 

years and in 2014, it affected more than 50,000 women in the US.6 Furthermore, the risk of maternal 

morbidity may be higher for rural women. One study found that when controlled for sociodemographic 

factors and clinical conditions, rural residents had a nine percent greater probability of severe maternal 

morbidity and mortality, compared with urban residents.7

 Researchers have identified both clinical 

factors (workforce shortages) and social determinants of health (transportation, housing, poverty, food 

security, racism, violence, and trauma) as significant challenges faced by rural patients.

7. Both the rates 

of maternal mortality and of morbidity among rural residents highlight the importance of transforming 

our health care system to ensure that birth is not a deadly or traumatic experience for any woman, 

regardless of race, geographic location, socio-economic status (SES), and health insurance status. 
BACKGROUND 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 

Maternal Circumstances and Social Factors 

The World Health Organization defines social determinants of health (SDH) as, “the conditions in which 

people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the 

conditions of daily life.”8 SDH can significantly affect the prevalence of disease(s) and/or health issue(s), 

and as mentioned in the Committee brief on Social Determinants of Health in 2017, rural communities 

often fare worse than their urban and suburban counterparts.9 Important social determinants of health 

for rural communities include lack of access to health and human services, transportation challenges, 

lack of educational and employment opportunities, and poverty. 

The impact of these SDH contribute to a variety of health issues in rural communities including those 

related to maternal health. Although most maternal health research has concentrated on risk factors 

such as poverty, SES, limited access to prenatal care and poor physical and mental health –these 

disparities do not fully account for high maternal mortality rates, especially among black women.

4, 10, 11, 

12. Researchers have indicated that the chronic stress experienced by women over their life primarily 

affects their overall health, and consequently, a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.13 Social and 

environmental risk factors such as substandard housing and housing instability, concentrated poverty, 

food insecurity, neighborhood safety, air quality and environmental stresses, intimate partner violence, 

police violence, and historical trauma all contribute to chronic stress experienced by rural women, 

especially women of color, and their families.11. This chronic exposure to stress, can consequently lead 

to allostatic load, or greater wear on the body’s adaptive systems.14 The impacts of stress on the body 

have been well documented, and in women, can lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate, 

obesity, mental health issues, and more.15 During pregnancy, chronically elevated levels of the stress 

hormone cortisol lead to immune suppression, which increases women’s risk of perinatal infections and 

life-threatening pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.8 

As the Committee has observed over the years, rural populations tend to have worse health outcomes 

than those living in urban areas. While maternal health disparities for black and Native American/Alaska 

Native women and/or rural women are significantly influenced by the mothers’ life circumstances 

growing up, these disparities are exacerbated by the lack of primary care providers and other health 

care professionals available to them before, during, and after pregnancy. Residents of small towns, 

farms, Tribal reservations, and frontier areas often have less direct or local access to primary care 

providers. Without primary care, it is difficult to address and manage chronic health issues that often 

stem from structural determinants of health, and the health complications that often follow, as seen 

with maternal mortality and morbidity. 

Structural and Systemic Issues 

Insurance Coverage 

In the U.S., access to quality health care depends primarily on the patient’s ability to acquire 

comprehensive insurance. In 2010, Medicaid covered 45 percent of babies born in the US.

16 In rural 

areas, 50 percent to 60 percent of births were covered by Medicaid.17 This finding is consistent with the 

fact that Medicaid covers nearly one in four nonelderly individuals in rural areas.18 These statistics 

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before deli>.lery 

31% 

25% 50% 

More than half of pregnancy-related 

maternal deaths occur after delivery 

1-6dayspp 

18% 

7-41 ... 

211' 

75% 

--­in 

100% 

Percentage of Maternal Deaths 

3 

demonstrate that more than half of women giving birth in Rural America are covered under Medicaid, 

Pregnancy-related Medicaid, or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). While the federal statute 

requires coverage of prenatal care, delivery, postpartum care, and family planning through 60 days 

postpartum, after that period, individual states determine whether coverage through Medicaid 

continues. In several states, many new mothers become uninsured because they do not meet the state’s 

Medicaid income eligibility requirements for parents. As a result, many of these women become 

uninsured after pregnancy-related coverage ends 60 days postpartum. 

The postpartum period is an important time for both mothers and infants. Women may be dealing with 

a host of medical conditions, such as maternal morbidity complications, pain, postpartum depression 

and anxiety– all while caring for a newborn. In fact, women are more likely to die of pregnancy-related 

conditions in the time following birth than during pregnancy or delivery.19 

Figure 2 Percentage of maternal deaths before, during, and after childbirth in the United States from 2011-2013 16 

Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the importance of states expanding Medicaid coverage from 60 

days postpartum to 365 days, to ensure care for women who have delivered a baby. According to a new 

study conducted by Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, expanded access to Medicaid was 

associated with 1.6 fewer maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.20 Thirty-seven states and the District 

of Columbia have extended Medicaid coverage for new mothers beyond 60 days, but fourteen have yet 

to do so.21 Given that rural populations face significant challenges in health care coverage and access, 

expanding Medicaid rules to cover care one year postpartum would significantly help new mothers and 

their children in rural areas. 

Hospital Closures and Loss of Obstetric Services 

Maternity care in rural areas also is dependent on hospital infrastructure. Over 120 rural hospitals have 

closed their doors since 2010, and nearly 700 rural hospitals are financially vulnerable and are at a high 

risk of closure.22 These hospital closures significantly affect rural maternal health care access. The 

percent of all rural counties in the US without hospital obstetric services increased from 46 percent in 

2004 to 55 percent in 2014.23 Furthermore, it is important to note that black communities had higher 

odds of hospital closures (4.73 adjusted odds ratio for non-Hispanic black vs 1.0 for non-Hispanic 

white).24 These closures force millions of women of reproductive age to travel long distances to the 

nearest hospital, which may or may not provide obstetric services. 

Even more significant than rural hospital closures in reducing access to obstetrical care has been the 

closure of obstetrical units in hospitals that remain open. In the period of 2004-2014, the closure of 14 

rural hospitals with obstetrics units left the counties where they were located with no obstetric services 

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at all. In that same period, hospitals that remained open closed 165 obstetric units leaving their 

counties with no available obstetric services.20 

The impact of hospital closures and loss of accessible obstetric service and increased distance to travel 

to care has been associated with increased risk of non-indicated induced Cesarean section (which can 

lead to more complications), postpartum hemorrhage, prolonged hospital stay, and/or postpartum 

depression.25 These complications are largely due to the low number of births in rural hospitals that 

often prevent them from preparing to deal with rare, maternal complications. Furthermore, in hospitals 

that do provide obstetric services, medical errors, ineffective treatments, and lack of care coordination 

by clinicians are major causes of preventable maternal deaths.26 

Lack of care coordination and expertise is exacerbated by hospitals and states limiting midwives’ ability 

to provide care for expecting women. Midwives attend over 30 percent of deliveries in rural hospitals 

(compared to 10 percent nation-wide) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services research shows 

that midwife care improves maternal and newborn health, reduces rates of unnecessary intervention, 

and saves money.

27 Despite these improved outcomes, many medical professionals worry whether 

midwives are a safe alternative, saying that they lack sufficient oversight.26 Across the US, midwives face 

resistance when they seek to transfer patients to hospitals and face a number of barriers with varying 

regulations. For example, many states require supervision or a collaborative agreement from a 

partnering physician rather than allowing them to practice independently.28 Considering that states that 

integrate midwives into their health care system have better outcomes for mothers and babies, the 

regulations limiting midwives in hospitals creates an impediment to the quality of rural maternal health 

care.25 

Workforce Shortages 

Ideally, maternal health care is delivered by an array of providers. Specialty providers, primary care 

providers, midwives, advanced practice nurses, nurses, pharmacists, community health workers and 

doulas all play a critical role in providing maternal health care before, during, and after pregnancy. 

Currently, the US faces a significant shortage of maternal health care providers nationwide. As of 2020, 

there is a shortage of 9,000 obstetricians-gynecologists, which is projected to increase to 22,000 by 

2050.24. Fifty percent of US counties do not have an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and 56 percent 

of US counties do not have a nurse midwife.24 .Furthermore, a 2014 analysis revealed a significantly 

higher number of primary care physicians worked in an urban location (53.3 per 100,000 population) 

compared to a rural area (39.8 per 100,000 population).29 In addition to the shortages, physician 

turnover tends to be higher for counties that lack a hospital, have a small population, and a low supply 

of primary care physicians, all hallmarks of rural communities, which makes workforce recruitment and 

retention challenging.30 

While medical schools have been increasing the number of students admitted, state residency slots have 

remained nearly constant (only 1 percent growth per year since 2002) limiting the number of practicing 

physicians.31 Without re residency slots, shortages will continue to grow, specifically in rural areas. 

Currently, these shortages leave approximately 10 million women left to travel far distances to receive 

maternal care. The combination of obstetric unit closures, maternal health care workforce shortages, 

and resulting lack of services significantly affect maternal health before, during, and after pregnancy, 

ultimately comprising the factors associated with maternal mortality. 

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5 

THE ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Addressing maternal mortality and improving maternal health is a priority for the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS). In late January 2020, the U.S Surgeon General issued a report, calling 

all members of maternity care teams at the national, state, and community levels to work together to 

reduce the risk of poor health and outcomes for mothers and their babies. 

Across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), several agencies that administer 

programs that support and enhance maternal health care. While there may be other agencies and 

programs within HHS that address maternal health and well-being, the ones that the Committee identified 

were the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Administration for Children and Families 

(ACF), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services (CMS), and the National Institute of Child Development (NICD). The programs within these 

agencies provide essential services to mothers and their families all across America. 

HRSA Programs 

With the goal of increasing access to quality health care services for geographically, economically or 

medically underserved populations nationwide, HRSA supports funding, training, technical assistance, and 

research initiatives to address a variety of issues that affect primary care, rural health, workforce 

development, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS. Programs that support maternal health care 

within HRSA, are found in the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), the Bureau of Primary Health 

Care (BPHC), and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). 

The mission of MCHB is to improve the health and wellbeing of America’s mothers, children, and 

families. MCHB relies upon evidence-based strategies to implement programs and monitor their 

effectiveness through data-driven means. These programs include the Maternal, Infant, and Early 

Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program , Healthy Start, Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health 

(AIM) Initiative, State Maternal Health Innovation (State MHI Program), and the Remote Pregnancy 

Monitoring Challenge among many others. Additionally, MCHB runs the Title V Maternal and Child 

Health Services Block Grant Program which seeks to create federal and state partnerships that support 

access to quality health care for mothers and children, including prenatal and postnatal care, health 

promotion efforts, health assessments, preventive and child care services, as well as meet their 

nutritional needs. These programs are critical to providing the necessary care for mothers and their 

children throughout the United States. 

The Bureau of Primary Health Care funds Community Health Centers, which are community and patientdirected organizations that deliver comprehensive, culturally competent, high-quality primary health care 

services. Health centers overcome geographic, cultural, linguistic, and other barriers to care by delivering 

coordinated and comprehensive primary and preventive services. Health Centers provide comprehensive 

primary care to over 28 million people, of whom roughly 1 in 5 are rural residents. Health centers help 

address disparities in primary and prenatal care for underserved populations across America. 

The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy administers several community-based programs, through which 

grantees may focus their activities on maternal health care coordination. FORHP also oversees funding for 

telehealth networks, which can play a pivotal role in addressing the disparity in the supply of rural 

OBGYNS, circumventing long distances, and improving care coordination for rural patients. Finally, in 

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6 

collaboration with MCHB, FORHP administers the Rural Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) 

program, which funds rural hospitals to pilot, test, and develop models that improve access to and 

continuity of, maternal obstetrics care in rural communities. 

CDC Programs 

As the nation’s public health agency, the CDC conducts research and surveillance, and provides health 

information to safeguard the public from disease and other health threats. Within the CDC, the Division 

of Reproductive Health (DRH), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 

provides scientific leadership in the promotion of women’s health and infant health, before, during, and 

after pregnancy. In addition, DRH works to reduce disease and death among mothers and babies, with 

special attention to reducing racial and ethnic differences in these health outcomes. While they do not 

specifically focus on rural maternal health, they support rural communities through their various 

programs. Through the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, the DRH is able to not only track, but 

learn more about the causes of pregnancy-related deaths and the risk factors associated with those 

deaths. Furthermore, the DRH provides support for state-based Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs). 

PQCs are state or multi-state networks of teams in both urban and rural facilities that work together to 

improve the quality of care for mothers or babies. PCQ members identify health care processes that need 

to be improved and use the best available methods to make changes as quickly as possible. 

In order to better assess and monitor levels of care among states, the CDC developed the CDC Levels of 

Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe). This is a tool, implemented through web-based platforms, that helps 

states and other jurisdictions create standardized assessments of levels of maternal and neonatal care by 

facility. Risk-appropriate care is a strategy developed to improve health outcomes for pregnant women 

and their infants. Many states have developed coordinated regional systems to ensure that pregnant 

women and infants at high risk of complications receive care at the birth facilities that is best prepared to 

meet their needs. Further, the CDC has made awards to support states in developing the Enhancing 

Reviews and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) Program. This funding directly 

supports agencies and organizations that coordinate and manage Maternal Mortality Review Committees 

to identify, review, and characterize maternal deaths; and identify prevention opportunities.32 These 

programs supported by the Division of Reproductive Health are not only improving data measurements 

on pregnancy-related deaths but also addressing the maternal mortality crisis through strengthening 

networks and review committees. 

CMS Programs 

As the administrator of health care services for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, CMS regulates 

coverage of care before, during, and after pregnancy. By law, all states provide Medicaid coverage for 

pregnancy-related services to pregnant women with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty 

level (FPL) and cover them up to 60 days postpartum. All states must provide some level of maternity care 

free of cost-sharing to eligible pregnant women, although there are state level variations in the scope and 

type of services that states offer. In addition, many states extend eligibility to pregnant women with 

incomes considerably higher than this threshold. States are required to provide prenatal care, delivery, 

postpartum care, and family planning, as well as services for conditions that may threaten carrying the 

fetus to delivery.33 

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 
 

 

 

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 

Rural maternal health care is an administration priority and CMS is focused on improving rural maternal 

health outcomes. Specifically, CMS has aligned health policies to its Rural Health Strategy and its new 

Rethinking Rural Health Initiative, and has released its first Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance 

Program (CHIP) Scorecard to evaluate state progress on maternal health outcomes. The Scorecard 

includes a measure related to postpartum care and may eventually include other maternal and infant 

health outcomes. 

Administration for Children and Families 

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) promotes the economic and social well-being of 

families, children, individuals and communities with funding, strategic partnerships, guidance, training 

and technical assistance. A number of ACF’s programs help support both the physical and social wellbeing of mothers, including Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the 

Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) initiative. These programs play an integral role in 

supporting families as they address numerous social determinants of health such as food insecurity, 

persistent poverty, and familial and community support. As mentioned previously, it is imperative to 

address social determinants of health when preventing maternal mortality and morbidity as the 

mother’s environment and situation can have a significant effect on her and her child’s health outcome. 

The Committee believes that to improve maternal health across the life span and reduce maternal 

mortality and morbidity, HHS needs an intersectional, comprehensive, multi-dimensional strategic 

approach. The Committee envisions that every women in rural America should be able to access 

affordable, quality, patient-centered, and non-discriminatory health care throughout her life. To reduce 

rural maternal mortality disparities, the Committee presents the following recommendations, which focus 

on enhancing care coordination between health and human services, improving health care delivery and 

quality measures, and addressing workforce issues. Subject matter experts and stakeholders presented 

to the Committee during its March 2020 meeting in Atlanta and the subcommittee’s site visit to Mercer 

University in Macon, GA. Their input helped to inform the Committee’s work. 

Enhance Care Coordination between Health and Human Services 

At its site visit to Mercer University in Macon, GA, the Committee consistently heard about the 

challenges rural women in Georgia face navigating pregnancy and the years following. Many women are 

single mothers and lack support from their family and/or partner. Therefore, there is great need to 

support social service programs such as Healthy Start, Early Head Start, and the Maternal, Infant, and 

Child Home Visiting Program as these human services programs provide holistic care for mothers and 

help them navigate the challenges that arise before, during, and after childbirth. These programs 

address multiple social determinants of health for mothers as they provide a wide array of health and 

human services. From assisting mothers on how best to breastfeed and care for their babies to 

promoting positive parenting to working with mothers to set goals for the future, continue their 

education, and find employment and childcare solutions – these programs address the physical, 

emotional, and social wellbeing of the mother and child. Yet, these programs, especially in rural areas, 

continue to be underfunded and lack adequate resources and support. 

Given the importance of addressing social determinants of health to reduce maternal mortality, the 

Committee encourages HHS agencies to continue investing these human services programs within the 

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Maternal and Child Health Bureau and The Administration for Children and Families. During the site 

visit, Committee members heard about the need for strengthened human service programs delivered by 

HHS. Therefore, the first recommendation is: 

Recommendation 1: The Committee recommends the Secretary encourage the adoption of 

comprehensive, integrative, and intensive case management within the Healthy Start, Early 

Head Start, and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. 

Improving Maternal Health Care Delivery and Quality Measures 

Because of low patient volumes and lack of obstetric providers in rural areas, many rural hospitals 

(especially those without OB services) are not prepared to handle complications that arise both during 

and after childbirth. The Committee believes treatment protocols should be developed and 

implemented in critical access hospitals in order to prevent both maternal mortality and morbidity. As 

mentioned in the programs under the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, the Alliance for Innovation on 

Maternal Health (AIM) is a national data-driven maternal safety and quality improvement initiatives 

based on proven implementation approaches to improve maternal safety and outcomes in the US. 

Currently, AIM works through state teams and health systems to align national, state and hospital -evel 

quality improvement efforts to improve maternal health outcomes. AIM is funded through a 

cooperative agreement with MCHB and although they offer numerous safety bundles on a range of 

issues, there no bundle specifically addressing hospitals and clinics that do not have OB services. To 

increase the preparedness of rural hospitals, the Committee suggests its second recommendation: 

Recommendation 2: The Committee recommends the Secretary develop guidelines and 

implement treatment protocols in rural hospitals and clinics, both with and without OB 

services, to respond to obstetric complications. In addition, the Committee recommends that 

the Secretary encourage states to utilize and implement the AIM bundles, particularly the AIM 

Maternal Safety Bundle on the Reduction of Peripartum Racial/Ethnic Disparities. 

By creating and implementing treatment protocols for rural hospital and clinics to be able to offer OB 

services, the Committee believes that the risk of maternal mortality and morbidity will be reduced 

because health care providers will be more equipped when a pregnancy complication arises. 

Furthermore, by encouraging the use and utilization of the AIM Maternal Safety Bundle on the 

Reduction of Peripartum Racial/Ethnic Disparities, the Committee believes that the disparities among 

racial groups, specifically black and Native American/Alaska Native women, can be reduced. 

In addition to implementing treatment protocols, the Committee believes attention needs to be 

focused on perinatal regionalization of care to ensure that all pregnant women are receiving timely 

access to risk-appropriate care. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and 

the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine has established Levels of Maternal Care to help providers 

identify the most appropriate locations for each birth within their region based on perinatal risk 

factors.34 Levels of Maternal Care are important to rural communities in identifying and referring highrisk women to providers with the appropriate skills for their needs. One example is the previously 

mentioned CDC Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe) to support decision making about riskappropriate care for women in rural areas. The Committee believes that there needs to be 

improvement in care coordination among health providers, especially as it relates to high-risk 

pregnancy. With improved care coordination and better risk assessments of pregnancies, the 

Committee believes maternal mortality and morbidity can be reduced. 

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9 

Additionally, the Committee recognizes the importance of Maternal Mortality Review Committees 

(MMRC) as they bring together a wide range of professionals together to facilitate an understanding 

of the drivers of maternal mortality and complications of pregnancy and the associated disparities. 

MMRCs also inform the implementation of initiatives in the right place for families and communities 

who need them most. Currently, the CDC supports 25 states in the Enhancing Reviews and Surveillance 

to Eliminate Maternal Mortality Program. The Committee believes the ERASE MM Program should be 

implemented in all states. Therefore, the third recommendation is: 

Recommendation 3: The Committee recommends that the Secretary enhance CDC funding for 

both the CDC Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe) program and the Enhancing Reviews 

and Surveillance to Eliminate Maternal Mortality (ERASE MM) program to ensure all states 

have standardized assessments of levels of maternal and neonatal care and Maternal Mortality 

Review Committees. 

Addressing Workforce Issues 

To improve maternal health care delivery, rural communities need to leverage all providers, from 

OBGYNs to primary care physicians to advanced practice nurses to clinical nurse midwives. During the 

site visit at Mercer, the Committee consistently heard of the importance of certified nurse midwives 

(CNMS) as they often meet an essential gap in the lack of both primary care physicians and OGBYNS. 

However, as discussed previously, nurse midwives face many restrictions in their scope of practice. For 

example, although all 50 states allow CNMS to practice, many states require supervision or a 

collaborative agreement from a partnering physician rather than allowing CNMS to practice 

independently. Practice laws between and within maternal healthcare professions are inconsistent 

across states. The Committee believes that there are opportunities to standardize laws both federally 

and among the states to ensure that women in rural communities have access to high-quality maternal 

health care. For example, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is an agreement between 26 states, 

one territory and 37 Medical and Osteopathic Boards, and allows licensed physicians to practice across 

state lines if they meet eligibility requirements. The Committee believes standardization such as this one 

can improve care coordination with a wide variety of maternal health care providers, ultimately making 

it easier for rural women to access high quality care. Therefore, the fourth recommendation is: 

Recommendation 4: The Committee recommends that the Secretary work with states to 

standardize scope of practice laws between and within maternal health care providers, and to 

expand the scope of practice for nurse midwives. This issue is of particular concern in rural 

areas given the shortage of obstetric providers. Certified Nurse Midwives can play a critical role 

if allowed to practice to the extent of their training. 

In addition to removing barriers that prevent providers from working together and taking care of 

patients, the Committee believes it is necessary to address the shortage of healthcare providers. During 

the site visit, the Committee heard of the workforce shortages for maternal-fetal medicine physicians, 

OBGYNS, primary care physicians, nurses, midwives and doulas that disproportionally affect rural 

communities. This shortage is critical to address as it exacerbates the lack of access to care for rural 

women and their families, which can contribute to poor health outcomes. 

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Although medical schools have been consistently increasing their class size, the number of residency 

spots have remained relatively constant. Without increasing residency spots, the physician workforce 

shortage will continue to worsen. As mentioned previously, there already is a 9,000 OBGYN shortage 

nationwide and the American Association of Medical Colleges predicts that by 2032 there will be an 

expected shortage of 21,100 to 55,200 primary care physicians.35 The Committee recognizes that it is 

imperative to address the nationwide shortage of physicians, particularly in rural areas. While 

recognizing that HHS has been examining the adequacy of residency positions and has proposed reforms 

to the Graduate Medical Education system, the Committee sees the cap on residency slots as a major 

barrier to an adequate rural health care workforce. Therefore, the fifth recommendation is: 

Recommendation 5: The Committee recommends that the Secretary, in support of the 

Administration’s broader graduate medical education goals, include an expansion of the current 

statutory cap on Medicare-supported residencies that allows for support of new rural 

residencies in high-need areas like primary care and obstetrics. 

Additionally, to address the workforce shortage specifically for rural areas, the Committee believes that 

it is necessary to support loan repayment programs. Therefore, the sixth recommendation is: 

Recommendation 6: The Committee recommends that the Secretary address the obstetrical 

workforce shortage by working with Congress to increase support for the National Health 

Service Corps to expand the number of physicians, nurses and certified nurse midwives working 

in rural and underserved areas. 

POLICY CONSIDERATIONS 

In addition to the policy recommendations listed above, the Committee also sets forth several policy 

considerations to address maternal and obstetric care challenges in rural America. Policy considerations 

consist of actions the Committee thinks should be taken that may involve work across multiple 

departments or to be outside the jurisdiction of HHS. These considerations also were informed by 

subject matter experts and site visit stakeholders. 

Medicaid Policy – Expanding Postpartum Coverage from 60 Days after Birth to 1 Year 

During the site visit to Mercer University, the Committee heard clearly from stakeholders of the need to 

modify Medicaid coverage for women and families. Physicians, nurses, Healthy Start and Head Start 

directors, and CEOs of rural hospitals emphasized the necessity of increased access to insured care for low 

income women to address not only the lack of access to care but also the break in continuity of care. 

Considering that 50-60 percent of rural babies are born under Medicaid, the program plays an integral 

role in access to quality health care before, during, and after pregnancy for rural mothers and their 

children. The CMS studied rural access to maternal care in 2019 and issued, Improving Access to Maternal 

Health Care in Rural Communities. The brief acknowledges, “There is a need for coverage beyond that 

immediate postpartum period, given the ongoing pregnancy-related risks and chronic conditions that 

women experience up to a year after giving birth.” The Committee supports efforts that benefit women 

in the vulnerable postpartum period. These observations lead the Committee’s first consideration: 

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11 

Consideration 1: The Committee is aware that states now have the option to extend the period 

of Medicaid coverage to one year postpartum, and would benefit from considering it as an option 

to improve maternal health outcomes. 

Investing and Strengthening a High-Functioning Maternal Health System 

In addition to strengthening standardized assessments of levels of maternal and neonatal care for 

maternal health, the Committee recognizes the importance of strengthening care coordination for 

maternal health. During the site visit, the Committee heard from CEOS of several rural hospitals and 

Federally Qualified Health Centers about the challenges they face in coordinated care delivery and 

ensuring access to obstetric services for rural women in Georgia. The Committee believes rural 

communities would benefit from the use of regionally networked models of obstetric care and supports 

the President’s 2021 budget proposal to expand the Rural Obstetric Management Strategies program. 

Furthermore, the Committee believes it is important to invest in the range of maternal health providers. 

In 2012, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched the Strong Start for Mothers and 

Newborns Initiative, which sought to reduce preterm births and improve outcomes for newborns and 

pregnant women. Women who received prenatal care in the Strong Start Birth Centers had better birth 

outcomes and lower costs relative to similar Medicaid beneficiaries not enrolled in Strong Start25. Given 

the findings from the Strong Start evaluation and other studies demonstrating the reduced costs and 

improved outcomes of perinatal service models that include midwifery, birth centers, and other 

providers (i.e. doulas, peer counselors, community health workers), the Committee believes that 

Medicaid agencies and private insurers can utilize and adopt these models to improve maternal health 

outcomes. 

Consideration 2: The Committee suggests the Secretary consider visible support for the 

President’s 2021 budget proposal to expand the Rural Obstetric Management Strategies 

program, while also supporting perinatal service models that include midwifery, birth centers, 

maternal medical homes, doulas, peer counselors and community health workers. 

CONCLUSION 

The US has the highest maternal mortality rate out of all developed countries in the world.36 Evidence 

points towards significantly high maternal deaths of black and Native American/Alaska Native women, 

especially those in rural areas. There are significant challenges facing rural women from accessing 

comprehensive, affordable, quality health and maternal health care. Given the scale and scope of the 

issue, through its recommendations, the Committee emphasizes the importance of investing in human 

service programs, strengthening care coordination and health care delivery, and addressing various 

workforce issues. Furthermore, the Committee highlights the challenges associated with Medicaid 

coverage and lack of networked models of maternal health care. The Committee understands that 

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12 

addressing the maternal mortality and morbidity health crisis is a top priority within HHS. Although 

there are numerous programs that have been developed to improve maternal health outcomes, barriers 

such as persistent poverty, transportation challenges, lack of affordable quality health insurance, 

chronic health conditions, and workforce shortages have made it difficult to address a complex issue 

such as rural maternal health care. Through its policy recommendations and considerations, the 

Committee hopes that these barriers can be better addressed in order to ensure that every women in 

rural America has safe and healthy pregnancy, delivery, and post-natal outcome. 

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services 
 

APPENDIX A – SITE VISIT PROFILE 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 

Founded in 1833, Mercer University is the oldest private university in Georgia and enrolls more than 

8,600 students in 12 colleges and schools. The Mercer University School of Medicine was founded in 

1982 and accepts only Georgia residents into their MD program. The school’s core mission is to train 

primary care physicians and other health professionals for service in rural and medically underserved 

areas of Georgia. Furthermore, they have developed The Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities 

in order to implement community-driven solutions to health disparities issues in rural areas of Georgia. 

The Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities is one of only two rural-focused NIH Centers of 

Excellence in the nation and operates numerous programs that focus on eliminating disparities in 

maternal and infant mortality, opioid overdose and chronic diseases. 

During the Committee’s site visit at Mercer University, a dozen representatives all across Georgia were 

brought together to discuss both the human services and health care delivery perspectives regarding 

maternal health. The panelists and their corresponding organizations included: 

• Donna Brown – South Georgia Healthy Start 

• Tiffany Crowell – Valdosta Healthy Start 

• Clifford Hunter – Fatherhood Coordinator, 

Heart of Georgia Healthy Start 

• Berinda Nwakamma – Georgia Home Visiting 

Program of Lowndes County 

• Dr. Jacob Warren – Center for Rural Health and 

Health Disparities 

• Melanie Dallas – Highland Rivers Health 

• Lodz Joseph – Albany Area Primary Health Care 

(CNM and doula) 

• Damien Scott – Emanuel Medical Center 

• Phyllis Solomon – Healthy Start (MscN, FNPBC) 

• R.B Tucker – South Central Primary Care 

Center 

• Dr. Champa Woodham – Navicent Health, 

Maternal-Fetal Medicine 

Figure 3: Panelist Agency Primary Locations (Orange) and Service Areas (yellow) 

Through the panels, the Committee heard not only of the challenges facing rural women in Georgia as 

they strive to achieve healthy lives for themselves and their children, but also the ways in which health 

and human service professionals are working together to improve health outcomes for Georgia’s most 

vulnerable populations. The Committee commends the work of all the panelists and their respective 

organizations. Their feedback and insight was crucial for the development of the policy 

recommendations and considerations. 

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