Maternity Care Deserts on the Rise in California

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the last decade California hospitals have shut down nearly 50 maternity wards, leaving pregnant people in large swaths of the state without a place to deliver their babies. That’s according to an ongoing CalMatters investigation which has found that the closures have accelerated in the last four years as hospitals cite high costs, labor shortages and declining birth rates. We look at the scope of the problem and who’s most affected – and how midwives and birthing centers are advocating for solutions. And we’ll hear from you: Have you had trouble accessing maternity care, or have you had to travel a long distance to give birth? Guests: Kristen Hwang, health reporter, CalMatters Holly Smith, certified nurse-midwife and co-lead, Midwifery Access California Tiffany Leonhardt, director of business development, Plumas District Hospital Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:50.3	Music From KQED. From KQED in San Francisco.
0:52.6	I'm Leslie McClurg.
0:53.9	I'm in today for Mina Kim.
0:55.6	Coming up on forum, maternity care deserts are on the rise in California.
1:00.3	In the last decade, hospitals have shut down nearly 50 labor and delivery centers.
1:04.7	That's according to an ongoing CalMatters investigation, which has found that the closures are accelerating.
1:10.9	Hospitals cite high costs, labor shortages, and declining birth rates.
1:15.1	We look at the scope of the problem, and we explore solutions.
1:18.3	And we want to hear from you.
1:19.4	Have you traveled a long distance to give birth?
1:21.5	That's next after this news. This is Forum. I'm Leslie McClurg. I'm in today for Mina Kim. And when I was pregnant in
	...

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