Bridging the Gap: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a New Rural Maternity Care Center Amid Nationwide Closures

The closure of rural maternity units in hospitals across the United States contributes to health inequities; however, little is known about the effects of reopening maternity services in this context. We conducted a mixed-methods study to characterize labor and delivery outcomes and patient experiences associated with the reopening of a rural Level 1 Maternity Care Center (MCC) at a critical access hospital. We compared clinical outcomes and distance to care for patients who gave birth at the rural MCC in the three years after its opening with outcomes from a similar low-risk and geographically located sample who gave birth at a large suburban academic medical center in the same hospital system in the three years before the MCC reopened. We also conducted in-depth interviews with patients who gave birth at the MCC. Labor and delivery outcomes were similar across both groups with significantly more care provided by family physicians and midwives and lower neonatal intensive care unit use at the MCC. The opening of the MCC reduced by half the distance patients traveled to give birth, and patients reported high rates of satisfaction. Rural maternity care centers can improve access to quality care closer to home using a resource-appropriate model.