Ohio hit hardest by shrinking access to maternity care, study finds

New data shows that in the past two years, Ohio has had more women impacted by overall reductions in access to maternity care than any other state (Source: “Babies delivered in cars: Rural Ohio's lack of maternity care affects nearly 100,000 women,” Columbus Dispatch, May 11, 2023).
 
According to March of Dimes data 13 of the 88 counties in Ohio are maternity care deserts and approximately 97,000 women in the state have been impacted by reduced access since 2021. The lack of any maternity care in those counties, coupled with barriers to access care further away, leads to poor health outcomes for mothers and babies.
 
Experts are calling for a comprehensive solution that not only includes more hospitals and doctors, but an increase in health education.
 
Since June 2022, the Ohio Hospital Association has counted 10 maternity wards closing across the state. Some merged or moved to a partner hospital, but other reasons given for the closures included workforce issues, operational costs and a decline in use due to fewer births in Ohio.