Rural residents face unique challenges and barriers when it comes to accessing high-quality healthcare. Many rural areas do not have a hospital or medical center nearby, forcing residents to drive hours to the nearest doctor or healthcare clinic. This delays—and in some cases prevents—rural residents from receiving care quickly, efficiently and safely. Due in part to these barriers, rural patients take advantage of preventive care less often than their urban counterparts and face higher health risks, such as cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries.

Women, specifically mothers, are among those most significantly impacted in these rural communities. In fact, less than half of rural women live within a 30-minute drive to the nearest hospital offering perinatal services. According to the March of Dimes, 36% of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts—meaning there are no hospitals providing obstetric care, no birth centers, no OB/GYNs,........

© Fast Company