{"id":1998274,"date":"2023-08-11T19:03:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T23:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maternal-unit-closures-across-us-could-lead-to-increase-in-maternal-death-rates-and-poor-infant-health\/"},"modified":"2023-08-11T19:05:05","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T23:05:05","slug":"maternal-unit-closures-across-us-could-lead-to-increase-in-maternal-death-rates-and-poor-infant-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maternal-unit-closures-across-us-could-lead-to-increase-in-maternal-death-rates-and-poor-infant-health\/","title":{"rendered":"US maternal unit closures may raise maternal death rates and harm infant health."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmaternal-unit-closures-across-us-could-lead-to-increase-in-maternal-death-rates-and-poor-infant-health%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1998274&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Maternity Units \u200bin Decline, Leaving Rural Communities in Need<\/h2>\n<p>Maternity units in hospitals are facing\u2064 a decline, resulting in longer \u200dtravel times for expectant mothers in rural communities. The decrease in staffing and low birth rates\u2062 have\u200d made\u2063 hospitals \u200cwith minimal births less attractive \u200cto doctors\u200d and nurses, according to\u2063 hospital \u200cexecutive Dr. Michal Cruz.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Cruz, the \u2063chief operating\u2063 officer for OSF HealthCare hospital system in Illinois, stated, &#8220;There&#8217;s just not enough \u2063babies to\u200c be had.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/hospitals-close-emergency-departments-maternity-wards-over-staffing-shortages-4215687\">Hospitals Close\u2062 Emergency Departments,\u2062 Maternity Wards Over Staffing \u2063Shortages<\/a> &#8211; 1\/15\/2022<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/maternity-ward-at-st-lukes-hospital-in-manhattan-exposed-to-tuberculosis-338322\">Maternity Ward at\u200b St. Lukes Hospital in Manhattan Exposed to Tuberculosis<\/a> &#8211; 10\/31\/2013<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/new-york-gov-hochul-opposes-rehiring-unvaccinated-hospital-workers-amid-staff-shortage-5010640\">New York Gov. Hochul Opposes\u200b Rehiring Unvaccinated Hospital Workers Amid Staff Shortage<\/a> &#8211; 1\/25\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/va-nurses-union-holds-brooklyn-rally-to-address-staffing-shortage-4211172\">VA Nurses\u200b Union Holds Brooklyn Rally to Address \u200cStaffing Shortage<\/a> &#8211; \u200b1\/13\/2022<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/exclusive-large-texas-hospital-faces-staff-shortages-despite-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-4602092\">EXCLUSIVE: Hospital System\u2062 Faces Staff Shortages Due to\u200b COVID-19 Infections, Despite Vaccine Mandate<\/a> &#8211; 7\/18\/2022<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A recent report by\u2062 March\u200d of\u200b Dimes revealed that \u2062nearly \u200c6.9 million \u2063births are\u200d impacted in areas with \u2064limited or no access to maternity units. \u2062This includes a 5 percent increase in counties that have reduced their \u2064access since \u20642020.\u200b In maternity-care deserts, approximately 2.2 million women and up to 150,000 babies are\u200c affected.<\/p>\n<p>Stacey Brayboy, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-kathleen-hicks-as-deputy-defense-secretary\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms Kathleen Hicks as Deputy Defense Secretary\">senior vice president<\/a> \u2063of public policy and government affairs at March\u2064 of\u200c Dimes, described the\u2062 situation\u2064 as a crisis, stating, &#8220;Women are struggling to access care, and that&#8217;s before and during and \u200dafter their pregnancies, and we&#8217;ve\u2062 seen an increase in terms of maternal and\u2062 infant deaths.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Alecia McGregor, an assistant professor of \u200dHealth \u2062Policy\u200b and \u2062Politics at Harvard T.H. \u200dChan School of\u2064 Public Health, emphasized the \u2063need\u200d for federal\u200d action to \u200bprevent further \u2064closures and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maternal-unit-closures-across-us-could-lead-to-increase-in-maternal-death-rates-and-poor-infant-health\/\" title=\"US maternal unit closures may raise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abortion-is-not-safer-than-childbirth-heres-the-data-the-left-wants-to-hide\/\" title=\"Abortion Is Not Safer Than Childbirth \u2014 Here\u2019s The Data The Left Wants To Hide\">maternal death rates<\/a> and harm infant health.&#8221;>ensure adequate payment \u2063levels<\/a> for\u2062 Medicaid.<\/p>\n<h2>Potential Increase in Maternal\u2064 Death Rates<\/h2>\n<p>The decline in maternity units \u2062could have severe consequences, including an increase in maternal death rates and a decline in infant health. The United States already has the highest\u200c maternal death rate among\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-report-shows-almost-1-in-3-women-experienced-violence-even-before-pandemic\/\" title=\"WHO Report Shows Almost 1 in 3 Women Experienced Violence Even Before Pandemic\">high-income countries<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A\u200d survey by the \u2062National Center for Health Statistics reported a 40 percent rise in the number of women who died during or after childbirth in 2021. This increase raised the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-budget-proposal-refers-to-mothers-as-birthing-people\/\" title=\"Biden Budget Proposal Refers To Mothers As \u2018Birthing People\u2019\">maternal mortality rate<\/a> to 33 deaths per 100,000 live births, the highest\u2063 since 1965.<\/p>\n<h2>Closure\u200b in Oregon<\/h2>\n<p>St. Alphonsus Medical\u200c Center\u200d in \u2064Baker City, Oregon, recently announced\u2063 the closure of its obstetrics and birth center \u2063department. This decision has raised concerns\u2063 among \u2063local nurses\u200c and the community,\u2064 as it\u200b will require expectant\u200c mothers to travel up \u2064to 45 minutes to the nearest hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The closure of the birth center, \u200bwhich serves approximately 125 families each year, has been described as heartbreaking. St. Alphonsus also\u2064 closed its intensive\u2062 care unit\u200b earlier this\u200c year\u200d due\u2064 to staffing shortages and financial trends.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and \u2063Jeff Merkley have called for the hospital to reverse its decision, offering federal, state, and\u2062 local \u2064nursing service resources to help keep \u200cthe maternity services\u2063 in \u200cplace.<\/p>\n<p>The closure has\u2064 been temporarily delayed by four weeks in \u200dresponse to community concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maternity units are dwindling in hospitals due to staff shortages and declining birth rates. This forces rural residents to travel up to 45 minutes for care. Dr. Michal Cruz, a hospital executive, informed the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the shortage of staff and low birth rates have contributed to this situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230,"featured_media":1998275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1998274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/230"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1998274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1998275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1998274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1998274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1998274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}