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. 2025 Jan 14;333(2):166-169.
doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.23010.

Obstetric Care Access at Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States

Katy B Kozhimannil  1 , Julia D Interrante  1 , Caitlin Carroll  1 , Emily C Sheffield  1 , Alyssa H Fritz  1 , Alecia J McGregor  2 , Sara C Handley  3   4
Affiliations

Obstetric Care Access at Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States

Katy B Kozhimannil et al. JAMA. .
No abstract available

Plain language summary

This study quantifies losses and gains of obstetric care services at US rural and urban short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Carroll reported receipt of grants from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Ballad Health, and the Commonwealth Fund outside the submitted work. Dr McGregor reported receipt of personal fees from the American Institute of Biological Sciences on behalf of March of Dimes as a grant reviewer. Dr Handley reported receipt of grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Percentage of US Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals Without Obstetric Care, 2010-2022
Percentages are shown based on the total number of short-term acute care hospitals each year (2010-2022), where the numerator is comprised of all hospitals without obstetrics (including those that lost obstetrics) in a given year and the denominator is the total number of hospitals operating in that year. Denominators in 2010 were 4768 (national), 1955 (rural), and 2813 (urban). Denominators declined due to hospital closures, and in 2022, were 4639 (national), 1860 (rural), and 2779 (urban).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Kozhimannil KB, Hung P, Henning-Smith C, Casey MM, Prasad S. Association between loss of hospital-based obstetric services and birth outcomes in rural counties in the United States. JAMA. 2018;319(12):1239-1247. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.1830 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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