What’s happening: Maternal health care is in the spotlight both nationally and in California, with a focus on declining birth rates and improving equitable outcomes. A new report from CHA centers on one aspect of access to maternity services: factors driving the decline in hospital-based labor and delivery unit availability.
What else to know: The report, Maternity Care in California: An Environmental Scan, describes various approaches in California and other states to help policymakers understand that addressing this complex issue requires flexibility and consideration of a community’s unique needs — and that any path forward must prioritize mothers’ and babies’ safety and emphasize high-quality care.
The report finds that three primary factors drive L&D unit closures: low delivery volumes, workforce shortages, and hospital financial instability. The report also finds that poorer regions are disproportionately impacted, with fewer clinicians available and greater travel required to access care.
