New arrivals in the ER? Georgia gears up to solve rural maternal health crisis

A rural maternity crisis in northeastern Georgia is pushing the state to expand emergency obstetric support after hospitals closed labor-and-delivery services. Kara Holden, whose local unit in Lavonia shut down, traveled about 50 miles to Greenville Memorial Hospital and planned contingencies for a possible emergency en route. The closures follow a broader trend tied to low Medicaid reimbursement and shrinking birth rates; nationwide, fewer than half of rural hospitals offer labor and delivery. In Georgia, only 36% do, and four have shut since 2020. Using federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds, Georgia will place obstetric carts in 43 rural hospitals lacking such units, funded with over $12 million in the first year.