The Ethics of Access and Outcomes: Maternity Care in Rural US Communities
This presentation will tackle core concepts related to safety during childbirth: access to and outcomes of care, with a focus on rural U.S. communities. It will present research findings on declining access to obstetric care in rural communities, what happens when rural communities lose obstetric services, and why hospitals close obstetric units. It will also consider the path forward, describing strategies to ensure that rural maternity care is safe, viable, and accessible.
Learning Objectives: After this webinar, attendees will be able to:
Quantify declining access to obstetric care in rural communities.
Describe what happens when rural communities lose obstetric services.
Understand why hospitals close obstetric units.
Discuss what could help keep rural maternity care viable and accessible, including case studies of hospitals and communities providing rural maternity care.
This is an event of the Office of Academic Clinical Affairs (OACA), hosted by the Center for Bioethics, and co-sponsored by the following U of MN Units: Business Advancement Center for Health (BACH), Minnesota Carlson; Center for the Study of Political Psychology, College of Liberal Arts; Community-University Health Care Center (CUHCC); Department of Pediatrics, Medical School; Eli Coleman Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, Medical School; Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, College of Liberal Arts; Medical School; Minnesota Population Center; Program in Health Disparities Research, Medical School; Rural Health Research Center; School of Dentistry; School of Nursing; School of Public Health.
Speaker(s)
Katy Backes Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA, is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in the Division of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Dr. Kozhimannil is the Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and the University of Minnesota Rural Health Program. In 2025, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of her research and policy leadership to improve maternal and child health, particularly in rural and Native American communities. She lives on Dakota land (Mahto Bde). Her ancestors come from northern Minnesota (Gaa-waabaabiganikaag Anishinaabeg, the White Earth Nation), Germany and France. She earned a PhD at Harvard University, an MPA at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, and a BA at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Kozhimannil conducts research to inform health policy that supports people at critical times in their lives, including pregnancy and childbirth. Referencing her research and recommendations, new local, state, and federal laws have allocated resources to improve access to prenatal, obstetric, and postpartum care, focusing on communities that face challenges accessing high quality care, including rural communities. She teaches courses that build skills for engagement in public health programs, policy, and research, and she works extensively to engage with and inform leaders with the power to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities, starting at birth.
