Gov. Tina Kotek announces funding for maternity care in rural hospitals, as some rural labor and delivery units close their doors

Ten of Oregon’s 34 rural hospitals have no labor and delivery units, and even more are at risk of shutting their doors. This raises concerns for those seeking maternal healthcare in rural areas as residents face high drive times to the remaining providers, limiting their access to prenatal visits and increasing risk in cases of emergency.

Late last month, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced $15 million in funding for maternity care in rural hospitals across the state. This will provide payments to rural hospitals with labor and delivery units that have “fewer than 50 beds and may or may not be within 30 miles of another hospital.”

Jeanna Romer is an obstetrician and gynecologist at Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande. Nora Hawkins is a direct-entry midwife in Wallowa County. They both join us to give us a sense of what that funding might mean, and the general state of obstetric care in Northeast Oregon.

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