Alyssa Fritz, MPH, RD, CLC

University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center

Division of Health Policy and Management
University of Minnesota
2221 University Ave. SE
Suite 350
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Current Projects - (2)
Publications - (17)

Current Projects - (2)

Monitoring Obstetric Unit Closures and Measuring Closure Impacts to Support Rural Maternity Care Access
This project will create a public health data infrastructure with annually updated information on the loss of hospital-based obstetric services, merging policy-relevant hospital and county characteristics with transportation and geographic data, and measuring trends over time in the loss of hospital-based obstetric care.
Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health, Women
Neonatal Care at Rural Hospitals: Describing Access, Closures and Levels of Childbirth-Related Care
This project will describe access to childbirth-related care for families living in rural and urban communities; it will document access to neonatal care and the levels of that care, describe rural counties that have lost access to neonatal care, and identify rural counties without access to either obstetric or neonatal services.
Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Children and adolescents, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health, Quality, Women

Publications - (17)

2025

Resources for Measuring Rurality in Research on Maternity Care
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2025
The primary objective of this brief is to explore the complexities inherent in defining rurality in maternal health research. In addition, this brief aims to provide insights into how different measures of rurality influence research outcomes, with the goal of informing best practices in maternal health research.

2024

Midwifery Care at Rural Hospitals in Montana and California
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2024
These case studies describe how two hospitals that serve rural U.S. communities incorporate midwifery care into their services.
Obstetric Care Access at Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2024
Maternal mortality is on the rise in the U.S., while access to maternal health services continues to decline. This study examines the losses and gains of obstetric care at hospitals in the United States from 2010 to 2022.
Variation in Elder Abuse State Statutes by State Level of Rurality
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2024
This policy brief examines elements of state-level elder abuse statutes' definitions and reporting requirements to investigate potential differences in these policies by state rurality that could influence one's understanding of elder abuse among rural and urban areas.
Triad Program Perspectives on Preventing and Addressing Elder Abuse in Rural Communities
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2024
Elder abuse is a widespread issue and rural communities face unique risks to preventing, identifying, and addressing it. This brief shares results from key informant interviews with representatives of rural Triads (multi-sectoral community-based partnerships that address elder abuse) to illuminate rural-specific dimensions of this issue.
Information for Rural Stakeholders About Access to Maternity and Obstetric Care: A Community-Relevant Synthesis of Research
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2024
This document aims to inform rural stakeholders about challenges related to access to and quality of hospital-based childbirth care in rural U.S. communities.
The Availability of Midwifery Care in Rural United States Communities
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2024
In this paper, researchers addressed the limited understanding of the current landscape of rural midwifery providers, describing the availability of local midwifery care in rural U.S. communities using a national survey of rural U.S. hospitals.
Loss of Hospital-Based Obstetric Services in Rural Counties in the United States, 2010-2022
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2024
The purpose of this infographic is to show the loss of hospital-based obstetric services in rural counties from 2010 to 2022, and how this differs by rural county type (micropolitan vs. noncore).
Rural-Urban Differences in Midwifery Care During Childbirth in the U.S.
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2024
This infographic provides a snapshot of rural-urban differences in midwife-attended births, including changes over time as access to rural obstetric care declined and severe maternal morbidity and mortality rose across the United States.
Risk Factors for Poor Health Among U.S. Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas: Injury, Food Insecurity, and Lack of Social and Emotional Support
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2024
This policy brief examines three risk factors for poor health outcomes among older adults: injury, food insecurity, and lack of social and emotional support by rural-urban residence.
Health Insurance Coverage and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Abuse Screening Among Rural U.S. Residents Who Gave Birth 2016-2020
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2024
Rural residents are known to experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than their urban counterparts, and IPV contributes to maternal injury and death. In this paper, researchers examine the relationship between perinatal health insurance, intimate partner violence, and postpartum abuse screening among rural U.S. residents.
Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Key Informant Interviews
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2024
This policy brief describes findings from interviews with key informants from intimate partner violence (IPV) victim support and advocacy organizations, shedding light on distinct challenges faced by rural victims and survivors. It also highlights targeted opportunities for better supporting the health and safety of rural IPV victims and survivors.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Postpartum Abuse Screening Among Rural U.S. Residents Who Gave Birth 2016-2020
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2024
The goal of this analysis is to describe intimate partner violence among rural U.S. residents who gave birth 2016-2020, with a focus on differences by race/ethnicity. Researchers also describe the frequency by which different racial/ethnic groups are not screened for abuse postpartum.

2023

Rural/Urban Differences in Rates and Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse Screening Among Pregnant and Postpartum United States Residents
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This paper uses the 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data to describe rates and predictors of perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV) and rates and predictors of not being screened for abuse among rural and urban IPV victims who gave birth.

2022

A Comparison of Evidence-Based Supports for Maternal and Infant Health in 133 Rural U.S. Counties With and Without Hospital-Based Obstetric Care
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2022
This infographic offers a comparative look at evidence-based supports available for maternal and infant health in rural counties with recently closed obstetric units (within the past 10 years) and those with hospital-based obstetric care at the time of the survey, in 2021.
Inequities in Availability of Evidence-Based Birth Supports to Improve Perinatal Health for Socially Vulnerable Rural Residents
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2022
This study aimed to understand the availability of evidence-based supports and services that promote maternal and infant health, in the rural U.S. The study developed a national survey of a sample of rural hospitals and determined the county-level scores on the 2018 CDC Social Vulnerability Index for each responding hospital.
Racial Inequities in the Availability of Evidence-Based Supports for Maternal and Infant Health in 93 Rural U.S. Counties With Hospital-Based Obstetric Care
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2022
This policy brief examines racial disparities in rural maternal and infant health outcomes between majority-Black, Indigenous, and People of Color versus majority-white rural counties and examines the availability of maternal and infant health evidence-based supports.