August 11, 2025
BY: SR. MARY HADDAD, RSM
Geography should not determine health outcomes, yet it does for millions of Americans living in rural communities. While an estimated 62 million people reside in rural America, they face significant health care challenges that lead to stark disparities compared to urban areas. Hospital closures, provider shortages, transportation barriers, and limited access to specialty care put rural residents at higher risk for chronic disease, maternal and infant mortality, mental health struggles, and delayed emergency care.
The statistics are especially concerning when it comes to maternal care:
- More than 50% of rural counties lack hospital-based obstetric services.
- Over 180 rural hospitals have closed since 2005, forcing women to travel long distances for care.
- Rural maternal mortality rates are 60% higher than in urban areas.
For Catholic health care providers, ensuring access to maternal health care has been a foundational commitment of Catholic health care since our founding in the United States and part of our commitment to uphold the dignity of every human life. Upholding the sanctity of life means advocating for health equity and ensuring that every mother and child, regardless of geography, has access to the care they deserve. Catholic health ministries have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to enhancing maternal care through a multifaceted approach that includes advocacy, support for innovative programs, and direct healthcare services.
- Avera Health in South Dakota has implemented a grant-funded program that utilizes telehealth and care coordination to monitor the health of new mothers, addressing issues such as blood pressure and gestational diabetes, and providing necessary clinical interventions
- Catholic Health in Upstate New York opened the Maternal Health Equity Center, partnering patients with doula navigators to provide emotional, informational, and physical support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The center focuses on promoting equity in higher-risk patient populations throughout the city.
However, providers alone cannot tackle the problem. We support the bipartisan Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act to ensure that rural health care facilities have the targeted resources to provide high-quality obstetric care to women within their communities. The bill seeks to address the gaps in maternal care by equipping hospitals with essential medical resources, expanding telehealth programs, and enhancing existing obstetric care through specialized training for healthcare professionals and strengthened healthcare network collaboration. Additionally, we urge Congress to pass the Keeping Obstetrics Local Act, which would increase Medicaid funding for hospitals and require Medicaid postpartum coverage in all states for a year.
We are also calling on Congress to take action — by increasing funding for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant (MCHBG) and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, and by reauthorizing the PREEMIE program.
Programs like the Title V MCHBG and Healthy Start are lifelines for women and children who face real barriers to getting the care they need. The MCHBG is especially important because it gives states and communities flexibility to meet local needs—whether that's offering hotline services, providing remote monitoring equipment, or supporting families in other meaningful ways.
The MIECHV program brings support directly into homes, offering expectant and new parents help during pregnancy and early childhood. These home visits can be a game-changer, especially in rural areas where accessing care isn't always easy.
And we can't forget about the PREEMIE program. Reauthorizing it means we can keep investing in vital research to better understand preterm birth and infant mortality — and more importantly, figure out how to prevent them. That knowledge leads to real solutions that can save lives and reduce disparities.
Beyond policy and programmatic efforts, ensuring maternal health care access is about elevating human flourishing — helping mothers and babies thrive and building healthier communities. It is about affirming the inherent dignity of every woman and child and committing to a future where no one is left behind due to where they live. Investing in these critical areas can help safeguard maternal health and improve outcomes for women in rural communities, embodying our commitment to compassionate, life-affirming care.