Women in rural Utah may travel an hour or more to access maternal healthcare. This finding comes from a new report titled, “Maternal Health in Utah: Risk Factors, Workforce Gaps, and Access to Care.” The report was produced jointly by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
“Utah’s maternal health workforce is under-resourced. Some communities in the state are experiencing a shortfall of health care professionals providing maternal health care,” said Melanie Beagley, public policy analyst at the Gardner Institute and lead author of the report. “Unfortunately, this gap is expected to grow over the coming decades.”
“The report highlights 3 main areas of concern: 1) distance to care, 2) access to maternal mental health treatment, and 3) preventative health care for Utah women,” said Anna West, Workforce Development Coordinator at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. “We work hard to incentivize providers to serve in areas that need them most. This is part of our mission to ensure all Utahns have the opportunity to live safe and healthy lives.”
Photo Credit: Kasey Shakespear
Photo Credit: Kasey Shakespear
Distance to care
In 8 Utah counties, the average travel time to a birthing hospital is over 30 minutes. For 5 of these counties, the drive time is over 60 minutes (Kane, Wayne, Emery, Daggett, and Rich counties). Travel time is a concern, as well as treatment delays. Traveling is challenging for low-income and rural families. It consumes resources like gas money, dependable vehicles, missed work, lost wages, and child care.
Maternal mental health
Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are the most common factors that contribute to maternal deaths in Utah. Unfortunately, access to treatment for these conditions is also a challenge. Utah has significant mental health provider shortages. Utah’s rate of mental health providers is also lower than the U.S. average.
Lack of preventive services for Utah women
Poor physical health increases the likelihood of complications both during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Utah reports one of the lowest rates of women 18 to 44 who have regular check-ups. Just 52% of Utah women had a regular health care checkup in the 12 months before pregnancy. Rates of risk factors like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are higher in Utah’s rural counties. These risk factors can complicate pregnancy. Women are more likely to report their physical health is poor if their household income is below the federal poverty line and they are a member of a racial or ethnic minority group.
To learn more about maternal health in Utah, visit https://ruralhealth.utah.gov/maternal-health/
About the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (PCRH) works to improve access to quality primary, behavioral, and oral healthcare in rural and underserved communities. PCRH is an office of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and receives funding from federal grants and state appropriations. For more information, visit https://ruralhealth.utah.gov/
About the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute serves Utah by preparing economic, demographic, and public policy research that helps the state prosper. We are Utah’s demographic experts, leaders on the Utah economy, and specialists on public policy and survey research. We are an honest broker of INFORMED RESEARCH, which guides INFORMED DISCUSSIONS, and leads to INFORMED DECISIONS™. For more information, please visit gardner.utah.edu or call 801-587-3717.
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