Access to Care: Maternity and OB Deserts in Indiana

Rural communities across the U.S. are increasingly losing access to maternity care as hospitals close their obstetrics (OB) departments due to financial struggles. Despite the financial burden, Sullivan County Community Hospital in Indiana is among the rural hospitals fighting to keep its OB services open. According to the March of Dimes, over 35% of U.S. counties—and nearly 24% in Indiana—are considered maternity care deserts, forcing expectant mothers to travel long distances for care, which can pose serious health risks.

“If you reduce the profit margins for some hospitals who are already very thin, then it just forces the administration and the board to look at ways in which you can reduce costs, and maybe OB is one of the ways that you reduce costs,” Michelle Franklin, CEO of Sullivan County Community Hospital said. “In doing that, you create what’s called OB deserts in our industry,” she added

New mother Macie Plummer shared how she barely made it to the hospital in time to give birth, emphasizing the importance of local maternity care. Many hospitals close OB services because they are not profitable, exacerbated by Indiana’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates, which leave hospitals with billions in unpaid healthcare costs. In the past two years, 10 birthing units have closed in Indiana alone.

Efforts are underway to address the crisis here in the Hoosier state. The Indiana Hospital Association (IHA) is advocating for a provision in House Bill 1004, which would secure federal funding to improve Medicaid reimbursements and help sustain rural birthing centers. Hospital leaders stress that maintaining OB services is a life-saving necessity for rural communities, despite the financial strain. Read more: Access to Care: Maternity and OB Deserts

Article source: MyWabashValley.com, Access to Care: Maternity and OB Deserts, March 13, 2025, written by Jen Thompson