• •March of Dimes analysis confirms over 35% of U.S. counties now qualify as maternity care deserts.
• •Data indicates that counties with no obstetric hospital or birth center are disproportionately located in rural regions.
• •While the report quantifies the geographic gap, it lacks a granular breakdown of how local telehealth initiatives are currently mitigating these specific access voids.

The March of Dimes has released an updated report identifying that more than one-third of U.S. counties currently lack access to obstetric services. This represents a long-term trend of hospital system consolidation and rural facility closures that has accelerated over the last decade. While health policymakers often look to remote monitoring or mobile clinics as solutions, the report leaves open the question of whether these interventions can effectively replace full-service labor and delivery units for high-risk pregnancies. The findings underscore a growing national health disparity, signaling that local healthcare infrastructure may require significant federal or private investment to stabilize birth outcomes.