Rural residents often encounter barriers to health care that limit their ability to obtain the care they need. Those challenges escalate for women. A maternity care desert is defined as any county in the United States without a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and without any obstetric providers.
Union Health, in partnership with Putnam County Hospital, is working to bridge that gap.
"Union Health is trying to create better care for women in maternity deserts where there have been little to no providers," Dr. Mary Abernathy said. "So, utilizing our advanced practice nurses in an area where it's most needed just makes sense."
Dr. Mary Abernathy, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Union Health, says the partnership is unique in that Union Health and Putnam County have the same mission in mind – patients first, no matter what neighborhood or area code they live in.
Darla Berry, a certified nurse midwife at Union Health, is working to bridge that gap for women living in more rural areas – in and around the Wabash Valley.
"We are hoping this helps, especially in the western part of Indiana where we have maternity deserts that border Illinois," Dr. Abernathy said. "Incidentally, we have found that many of our patients are coming from that eastern, central portion of Illinois as well. So, we draw patients from approximately 80 to 90 miles away for care here at Union Hospital and we're trying to provide care to those patients."
Putnam County Hospital closed its obstetric unit in 2011. A decade later this program was created between the two health care systems to allow women to receive exceptional health and prenatal services in their own community, without having to drive miles or hours to receive it.
"Some of the leading causes of infant mortality and maternal mortality in Indiana have been shown to be the lack of early prenatal care or no care at all," Dr. Abernathy said. "So, this is a way to get women into maternity care early enough so we can try to decrease that risk of both maternal and infant mortality."
In Indiana, perinatal risk factors have been the leading cause of infant mortality. Some of those perinatal risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Untreated Diabetes
- Lack of Early & Untreated Prenatal Care
- Poor Breastfeeding
With a mission to remain Healthier, together, Union Health and Putnam County Hospital plan to continue their partnership in an effort to lead both communities to their best health and wellness.
Darla Berry, MSN, CNM, has more than two decades of offering comprehensive women's health and obstetric care services. There are two locations you can schedule your appointment with Darla –
Putnam Women's Healthcare
1542 S. Bloomington St.
Greencastle, IN 46135
765.301.7440
Rockville Family Medicine
111 W. High St.
Rockville, IN 47872
765.569.2057
Mary Abernathy, MD, MS, MBA, FACOG, RDMS, speaks to local media about the concerns of maternal deserts within the Wabash Valley and how Union Health has partnered with Putnam County Hospital to help bridge that gap for more women living in rural areas.
So, is this program really working? Take a look.
Healthy People 2030 Goal is to have 80.5% of pregnant women enter into prenatal care in the 1st trimester of pregnancy.
- Nationally: 78.3%
- Indiana: 76.1%
- Union Health /Putnam Co. Hospital collaboration patients = 81%
Rate of preterm birth
- Nationally: 10.5%
- Indiana: 10.9%
- Union Health/Putnam Co. Hospital collaboration (2023): 9.5%
Additionally, 95% of Union Health and Putnam Co. Hospital patients attended at least one postpartum visit, 81% breastfed at birth and 95% initiated contraception in support of appropriate birth spacing.
Note: All national and state statistics were pulled from March of Dimes (2021).