- More than 5.6 million women live in counties with little to no access to maternity care services, according to a report from the March of Dimes. The nonprofit organization’s 2022 report shows that 1,119 counties qualify as maternity care deserts, marking a 2 percent increase from the 2020 report or an additional 15,933 women without maternity care. March of Dimes defines maternity care deserts as “any county in the United States without a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and without any obstetric providers.” The report found that 36 percent of U.S. counties were designated as maternity care deserts. Of those maternity care deserts, 61 percent were rural counties. (Articles here and here)
August 2, 2023
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