Study examines decline in hospital-based obstetric services by county

A report found 293 U.S. counties (8.6%) nationwide lost all hospital-based obstetric services from 2010-2023. Conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Center, the report found that among counties losing all hospital-based obstetric services, 26 counties experienced a recent loss between 2022 and 2023 ─ 21 of which are rural counties. Among the 148 rural counties with a town population of 10,000 or fewer people, 11% lost all hospital-based obstetric services from 2010-2023. Overall, 60% of rural counties and 38% of urban counties did not have any hospital-based obstetric services by 2023.