Enhanced obstetric training to address maternity care workforce shortages in tribal, rural, and underserved communities: a case from Oklahoma

Abstract

The United States is facing a shortage of pregnancy care providers, especially in tribal, rural, and underserved (TRU) communities. In Oklahoma, more than half of the state's counties are considered maternity care deserts that lack obstetric (OB) providers or services. Limited access to pregnancy care in Oklahoma's TRU areas contributes to the state's high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. Family medicine (FM) physicians receive basic OB training during residency and are often the only providers delivering pregnancy care for geographically isolated and socially vulnerable populations in these counties. In 2021, the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine launched an enhanced OB training curriculum for FM residents to help address workforce shortages in Oklahoma's TRU communities. This article describes the design and implementation of the enhanced training curriculum, summarizes results from the first 2 years of implementation, and shares lessons learned for the field.

Keywords: Family practice; Health disparities; Health workforce; Maternal health services; Medically underserved area; Obstetrics.