ARKANSAS MATERNAL HEALTH SCORECARD

Menu

Maternity Care Access

Maternity care access refers to the availability of recommended health services during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, as well as the mother’s ability to receive those services.

49

of Arkansas’ 75 counties do not have
labor and delivery services

(2023)

Insurance Coverage for Birth

Percent of Arkansas births paid by Medicaid and private insurers (2023)

0.8%

of births in Arkansas were attended
by a certified nurse-midwife

(2023)

Counties and regions without a hospital that delivers babies are sometimes referred to as maternity care deserts. In Arkansas, the number of counties with a birthing hospital is smaller than the number of counties without one. To learn more about the services offered by birthing hospitals in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s hospital map.

Geographic Distribution of Birthing Hospitals in Arkansas, 2024

Source(s): The Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative’s Birthing Hospital Map, 2024.

Click on any county on the map to see information about birthing hospitals.

Rural areas in the United States have experienced a decline in availability of maternity care, with over 400 closures of obstetric units reported between 2006 and 2020. The Arkansas Maternal Health Scorecard is the first site to map documented obstetric unit closures in Arkansas, along with the stated reason for the closure when provided in news reports or hospital statements. The most common reasons for closures in Arkansas are staffing shortages and financial considerations (e.g. reimbursements rates do not cover the costs of providing obstetric services). Information about additional obstetric unit closures can be sent to for inclusion on the map.

Geographic Distribution of Hospitals that Closed Obstetric Units in Arkansas, All Years

Source(s): Hospital statements and/or news reports, as indicated.

Select a year and click on any county on the map to see information about hospitals that closed obstetric units.

For low-risk pregnancies, midwifery care is associated with fewer interventions, lower cesarean section rates, and higher patient satisfaction. Nationally, 11.4% of births were delivered by a certified nurse midwife. In a 2020 study by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Arkansas had the smallest number of clinically practicing nurse midwives of any state. The size of the midwife workforce is reflected in the small proportion of births attended by midwives in Arkansas.

Source(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2022, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Some values may be suppressed due to privacy protections; missing or unknown values may be excluded.

Access to health insurance is essential to improve maternal health outcomes, as it can influence the use and quality of maternity care. Having health insurance coverage allows pregnant and postpartum women to receive necessary healthcare in the perinatal period without significant financial barriers, thereby promoting maternal wellbeing.

Source(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Natality on CDC WONDER Online Database. Data are from the Natality Records 2016-2022, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Some values may be suppressed due to privacy protections; missing or unknown values may be excluded.

© 2024 Arkansas Maternal Health Scorecard
This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4.9 million with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.