“We have failed moms and babies too long in our country, and we need to act now to improve this crisis.”

Dr. Zsakeba Henderson, March of Dimes’ senior vice president and interim chief medical and health officer, regarding the nation’s maternal and infant health crisis that’s partly due to low accessibility to quality maternity care. A new report found that 36 percent of counties nationwide constitute “maternity care deserts,” in which they have no obstetric hospitals or birth centers and no obstetric providers. The lack of care disproportionately impacts rural communities and people of color. (NPR — Oct. 12, 2022)