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Abortion, Doctors, Healthcare Providers, Rural Hospitals, Women's Health

Idaho banned abortion. Three years later, minors and seniors struggle to get routine care

It’s been three years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Dobbs ruling that ended federal abortion protections and allowed more than a dozen states to implement abortion bans. States that were already struggling with physician shortages say they’re getting worse, especially in rural areas, where many labor and delivery units have also closed their doors. Clinics have closed and resources become more strained with every passing year.

An illustration of a bearded man dressed in farmer overalls holding a test tube.
Health Policy, Politics, Rural Hospitals

NIH funding cuts will hit red states, rural areas and underserved communities the hardest

The cuts will be detrimental to the entire country, they will disproportionately hurt states that traditionally have received very low levels of NIH funding, the majority of which are red states that supported Trump’s election to a second term. This is because such states lack resources to develop advanced research infrastructure necessary to compete nationally for NIH funding.

Dall·e 2025 01 02 07.09.43 a serene low poly style illustration of a young pregnant woman standing by a window and gazing out at a rural oregon landscape. the woman is depicted
Pregnancy, Rural Health, Rural Hospitals, Women's Health

For Many Rural Women, Finding Maternity Care Outweighs Concerns About Abortion Access

A study that examined nearly 5,000 acute care hospitals found that by 2022, 52% of rural hospitals lacked obstetrics care after more than a decade of unit closures. The health implications of those closures for young women, the population most likely to need pregnancy care, and their babies can be significant. Research has shown that added distance between a patient and obstetric care increases the likelihood the baby will be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

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Cancer, Health Costs, Rural Health, Rural Hospitals

45 Degrees North: The Rural Cancer Commute 

If you come from a rural area, you probably know someone who has had to make that kind of commute for treatment. Who has weighed the cost of gas, food and lodging away from home. Who has learned the back ways around a strange city to avoid road construction or rush hour congestion. Who packed an extra week’s worth of clothes, just in case.