In the United States, one of the most powerful and wealthiest countries in the world, women will give birth to more than 300,000 babies each year in counties with limited access to maternity care — or no access to care at all. In a country with robust resources such as ours, the hard reality is that 2 million women of childbearing age live within the 35% of American counties – both rural and urban – that lack access to hospitals offering obstetric care.
Maternity Care Deserts
In recent years, the closures of regional hospitals and shortage of primary care and OB/GYN providers has led to an increased number of maternity care deserts – areas where access to maternity care services is limited or in some cases, not available at all. The March of Dimes 2020 report, Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S., estimates that there are at least 1,095 maternity care deserts across the United States, impacting people of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Women who live in maternity care deserts might be at an increased risk of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and babies who are born prematurely in maternity care deserts are especially vulnerable.
This troubling lack of accessible and affordable maternity care providers and services for pregnant women is at the center of a three-year partnership between RB’s Enfa portfolio of brands and March of Dimes, seeking to address the factors contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality and preventable preterm birth.
The Mission
Together, the teams have launched Better Starts For All, an initiative specifically designed to address the most challenging issues in maternity care deserts to ensure all moms and babies, especially those with the greatest need, have the best start in life regardless of social, cultural and economic challenges.
Better Starts for All aims to address pressing maternal health disparities and improve access to pre- and post-natal care through in-person and virtual health programs, in partnership with established community health offerings. Initial efforts will focus on improving access to care for more than 7,000 pregnant women in pilot markets in 10 counties in Southeast Ohio and Wards 7 & 8 in Southeast Washington, D.C. – two areas where socio-economic and health obstacles contribute to poorer health outcomes for moms and babies.
In these communities, Better Starts for All will offer a series of free, personalized, sustainable, and replicable services to increase access to care:
• Mobile Health Services: A mobile health vehicle brings prenatal care and related maternal health services to areas where access to services is limited.
• Supportive Pregnancy Care (SPC): Group prenatal care model that provides clinical care, education and support in a group setting.
• Virtual Moderated Education: Online prenatal education for moderated groups that is tailored to the needs of the community.
• Community Coalition: A coalition of community providers will develop and implement innovative strategies to increase access to care in maternity care deserts.
• Virtual Supportive Pregnancy Care: Fully functional telemedicine solution to virtualize OB care in hard-to-reach communities.
How You Can Get Involved Now
In addition to work on the ground, Better Starts for All (@betterstarts4all) strives to raise awareness of maternity care deserts and inspire action to drive participation and support for the initiative, paving the way for future expansion to more moms and communities throughout the country.
Better Starts for All needs your voice and your action. There are several ways you can get involved.
• Support #BlanketChange: Add your voice to a growing list of people who are calling on policymakers to pass laws and regulations that promote equity and access for all moms and babies. Supporting #BlanketChange means you support:
- Eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities and driving economic, social, and health equity by focusing on prevention, treatment, and social determinants of health
- Improving access to care through expanding critical health programs and closing gaps in coverage
- Addressing preventable health conditions through expanding research and improving maternal morbidity and mortality data collection
• Volunteer: Find out what volunteer opportunities exist in your area, or reach out to discover volunteer opportunities that fit you or your group
• Donate: Donate now to help moms and babies in your community and across the country
