Rural communities often face unique challenges and barriers that impact health, including limited access to medical facilities, a shortage of healthcare professionals, and logistical barriers to receiving care. On National Rural Health Day, we come together to raise awareness, advocate for change, and celebrate the resilience of these communities. We are proud of the collaboration between Rural Partners Network (RPN) and USDA Rural Health Liaison and USDA Rural Development’s Innovation Center aimed at addressing these challenges and improving access to care through a joint led USDA-HHS Maternal Health Project with pilots in three key Rural Partners Network communities!
Together, we are committed to making a lasting impact on maternal health by combining our expertise, resources, and shared passion in Arizona, Mississippi, and West Virginia. The goal is to help rural communities improve maternal health outcomes in rural America. During the first phase of the pilot projects, RPN Community Liaisons and Technical Assistance Providers worked together to conduct in-person listening sessions with key stakeholders and moms to understand their specific needs, address barriers, and identify potential solutions. These results are guiding Phase II where the Technical Assistance Providers, RPN Community Liaisons, and committed community stakeholders and leaders are developing a regional action plan over the next 6-12 months.
Current findings from all three pilot projects have identified access to care, improving coordination between healthcare systems and resource sharing, transportation, and substance use disorders as common challenges in each community. Action plans aim to reduce these maternal health barriers and challenges through identifying best practices and relevant accessible opportunities, leveraging available assets, and utilizing RD and HRSA resources to improve capacity and identified challenges. Once the regional action plans are developed, Phase III will launch implementation of the action plan where the community stakeholders and leaders will work towards their goals with the assistance of the RPN Community Liaisons.
Using the tools developed, lessons learned, and best practices identified from Phase I and Phase II of the pilots, USDA and HHS will create a “How to” Toolkit to support rural and Tribal communities across the nation and territories to replicate their own rural maternal health community project. Toolkit resources and tools will be adaptable with the intention to best support each unique rural community’s needs. This Toolkit will complement the joint USDA-HHS Rural Maternal Health Resource Guide coming soon!
These projects will showcase the power of maternal care as a component of not just improved health, but also an opportunity for economic development, improve access to care, and increase education and awareness.