Rural America continues to experience the loss of hospital labor and delivery services.
With 2025 not yet over, more rural hospitals – 27 – have closed or are in the process of closing their labor and delivery services than did so in 2024 (21).
As a result, only 41 percent of the nearly 2400 rural hospitals in the country today provide labor and delivery services.
Of the remaining 900 hospitals still providing these services, 127 of them – 13 percent – are considered to be at risk of closing those services.
As a result of this shortage, pregnant women face longer trips to the hospital when it comes time to deliver – and a greater risk of complications during those longer trips.
Learn more about the extent of this problem and possible policy and financial solutions from the Fierce Healthcare article “Rural hospitals’ labor and delivery closures increased in 2025.”