For pregnant women in rural Reynolds County, Missouri, getting to a hospital equipped to deliver their babies can mean traveling more than an hour. Two local hospitals lack labor and delivery services, and the county relies on just one contracted ambulance.
Sarah Turnbow, WIC coordinator at the Reynolds County Health Center, said expanding mobile health services and community education could help families recognize potential emergencies before it is too late.
"More than one mobile unit or clinics that are set up maybe in different areas at different times, even if it's just for education, for letting people know, what are signs that they shouldn't wait?" Turnbow explained.
A Mobile Integrated Health program already serves the area, although Turnbow pointed out many residents are unaware of it. Missouri is investing about $6.5 million to expand mobile health and community paramedicine services statewide. National research shows physician shortages and financial losses are among the leading reasons rural hospitals discontinue maternity care.
A national study published in 2025 found that among rural hospitals responding to a survey about obstetric unit closures, 67% cited physician shortages and 62% reported financial losses as contributing factors. Turnbow believes developing a local medical workforce could help communities like Reynolds County overcome some of the challenges.
"I think if we could have maybe some trade schools or some education here that kind of funnels EMTs to paramedics to something like that, so maybe we could have a homegrown medical system here," Turnbow suggested.
Although it is not yet clear how much funding will reach Reynolds County, Missouri has earmarked nearly $18 million for rural health workforce development, including emergency medical training and maternal health initiatives. The investment is part of a broader effort to strengthen health care in underserved communities.
Missouri News Service originally published this story.
