Rural hospitals are closing maternity wards. People are seeking options to give birth closer to home

Fewer than half of rural hospitals in the U.S. have maternity units.

The closures have worsened so-called “maternity care deserts” — counties, mostly rural, with no hospitals or birth centers and no OB providers.

The American Hospital Association says at least 89 obstetric units closed in rural hospitals between 2015 and 2019 .

County commissioner Shane Alderson says rural communities shouldn’t be stripped of health care options because of their size or the number of low-income people with public insurance.

“That’s not equitable,” he said. “People can’d survive like that.”.