BY US REP. TONY WIED
In recent years, we have seen a decline in dedicated labor and delivery facilities in rural hospitals, with more than 80 rural hospitals across the United States closing labor and delivery facilities since 2022.

Unfortunately, our district saw the recent closure of ThedaCare’s Waupaca labor and delivery center. Even before this closure, some women in our district faced travel times of over 45 minutes to safely deliver their baby. These high travel times increase the risk of complications for both mothers and babies.

This week, I was proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act to help in lowering these risks. This bill would provide training and equipment for medical staff in rural healthcare facilities to provide emergency obstetric services during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period.

More rural healthcare facilities equipped for labor and delivery means shorter travel times and a lower risk of complications for both mothers and their babies. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve access to healthcare in rural America.

The bill

The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act would help rural hospitals and doctors prepare to handle the obstetric emergencies that come through their doors by creating training programs to help non-specialists respond to emergencies like labor and delivery; providing federal grants for rural facilities to buy better equipment to train for and handle these emergencies; and developing a pilot program for teleconsultation services, so that a doctor at a rural facility helping an expecting or postpartum mother facing an emergency can quickly consult with maternal health care experts.