The Role of the Family Physician in Rural Maternity Care

Of the 28 million rural women of reproductive age in the United States, ∼7 million of them live in areas of limited access to maternity care. While only 6.7% of Family Physicians currently provide maternity care, they are the only delivering physicians in 27% of rural hospitals. Of the 1.6% of Family Physicians performing cesarean deliveries as a primary surgeon, 57.3% do so in a rural county and 38.6% do so in a county without an obstetrician. Cultivation of the next generation of Family Physicians providing maternity care is essential to prevent further spread of existing maternity care deserts.