Access to obstetrical (OB) care in the rural U.S. has declined significantly in recent years, with OB care by family physicians dropping substantially. Accurate supply estimates of OB providers by urban and rural geography, with attention to variation within different types of rural areas, will allow us to identify gaps in available care for communities in rural America. The types and numbers of OB providers who care for rural vs. urban populations differ substantially by geography. Uneven distribution of the OB workforce may continue to create disparities in access to OB care, even affecting areas that contain ample supply of other types of healthcare services. This study will describe the supply and distribution of OB care providers in the rural U.S. at national, regional, and state levels.

Publications

• The Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of the Obstetrical Care Workforce in the U.S.
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2020
  Monitoring the supply of the obstetrical (OB) care workforce is important for identifying areas that may lack OB care access. This brief describes the supply and geographic distribution of obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, midwives (not advanced practice), and family physicians in rural versus urban counties.
• The Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of the Obstetrical Care Workforce in the U.S. - A State-Level Analysis
  Report
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2020
  Monitoring the supply of the obstetrical (OB) care workforce is important for identifying areas that may lack OB care access. This set of data briefs describes the supply and geographic distribution of obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, midwives (not advanced practice), and family physicians in rural versus urban counties for every state.