Nine Wisconsin counties lack maternity care providers
Nine rural Wisconsin counties—Adams, Douglas, Forest, Kewaunee, Lafayette, Marquette, Oconto, Pepin, and Rusk—have no hospitals, birth centers, or obstetric providers, according to the March of Dimes 2024 report. Research shows residents in states with high prevalence of maternity care deserts face 34.2% greater risk of maternal mortality and 18.3% greater risk of infant mortality.
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Nine Wisconsin counties have no access to maternity care, leaving thousands of pregnant women without nearby hospitals, birth centers, or obstetric providers. According to the March of Dimes 2024 report, Adams, Douglas, Forest, Kewaunee, Lafayette, Marquette, Oconto, Pepin, and Rusk counties are classified as maternity care deserts—areas where expectant mothers must travel significant distances to receive prenatal care or deliver their babies.
Wisconsin fares better than the national average on this issue. While 15.3% of Wisconsin counties lack adequate maternity care compared to 32.6% nationwide, the nine affected counties still represent a serious gap in access.[7] The March of Dimes defines maternity care deserts as counties without hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care and without any obstetric clinicians—including obstetricians, family physicians who deliver babies, certified nurse midwives, and nurse midwives.[1] Women living in these areas face longer travel times to reach care and may receive inadequate prenatal care, increasing risks during pregnancy and childbirth.
The closure of rural hospitals and a shortage of obstetric providers are driving this crisis. Wisconsin rural hospitals providing obstetric delivery services have continued to decline, with family physicians now providing over half of obstetric care in rural hospitals.[3] The state has also seen an 8% decrease in applications for OB-GYN residencies, making it harder to fill provider vacancies.
For Milwaukee-area residents, these gaps highlight the importance of supporting maternal health initiatives statewide. Women in maternity care deserts face significantly higher risks of maternal and infant mortality, with research showing a 34.2% greater risk of maternal mortality and 18.3% greater risk of infant mortality. Expanding access to community-based pregnancy care, telehealth services, and supporting rural healthcare providers could help close these dangerous gaps across Wisconsin.