Closure of Labor & Delivery units in rural counties is associated with reduced adequacy of prenatal care, even when prenatal care remains available.
Stephanie M RadkeLaurel SmiensKelli K RyckmanThomas S GrucaPublished in: The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association (2023)
Utilization of prenatal care is lower in rural communities following L&D unit closure, especially among Medicaid recipients. This suggests that the overall maternal health systems were disrupted by the closure of the L&D unit, impacting the utilization of services that remained available to the community.