Following attendance at medical conferences, outreach at the RNC and DNC, and review of latest data, Ascent Strategy Group targets America's maternal healthcare shortage for its health equity mission.
The March of Dimes reports that over 35% of U.S. counties are now classified as maternity care deserts. This means that these areas lack adequate maternity care resources, including hospitals or birth centers that provide obstetric care and obstetric providers.
Approximately 2.3 million women of reproductive age live in these deserts, highlighting significant access issues for maternal health services across the country. The report indicates that more than half of all counties do not have a hospital offering obstetric care, which poses serious challenges for expectant mothers and their familiesReports indicate that one in every three counties lacks a single obstetric clinician, exacerbating access issues to maternity care.
Zip codes in low-income communities, such as the South Side of Chicago, have the lowest scores for access to maternal care.
This crisis has intensified since the pandemic, with many hospitals closing obstetric units due to staff shortages, reimbursement challenges, and declining birth volumes. The agency is emphasizing the urgent need for innovative solutions to bridge these gaps in maternal healthcare access.
