Los Angeles County has seen five maternity wards close since 2023, bringing the total number of closures to 16 over the past decade. As a result, hospitals across the county are struggling to meet the needs of pregnant patients.
Los Angeles General Medical Center, a teaching hospital, has treated approximately1,400 pregnant patients who arrived through its emergency room seeking care during labor and delivery between 2016 and 2023. A former resident explained that “we don’t have the ability to turn away patients” especially as maternity ward closures force people to travel longer distances for care. Approximately 65% of those affected in Los Angeles County are Latina women.
Dr. Sigita Cahoon, vice chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Los Angeles General Medical Center is one of the many providers who have been on the frontlines of this growing crisis. Dr. Cahoon shared that her hospital has seen a rise in pregnant patients diagnosed with serious conditions, including high blood pressure, seizure disorders, psychiatric needs, and placenta accreta. If left untreated, these complications can pose life-threatening risks to both the pregnant person and their unborn children.
At the same time, Los Angeles County’s maternal morbidity rate continues to rise. Because not all hospital staff and facilities are equipped to manage labor and delivery, those that are face overwhelming pressure. This strain can impact clinical judgment during high-risk procedures, increasing the likelihood of complications. These challenges are not unique to Los Angeles, as communities across the country face similar consequences from maternity ward closures.
Nationwide, 35% of counties are now considered “maternity care deserts.” In these areas, 2.3 million women and about 150,000 births were affected in 2022 alone. While people in most urban areas can receive services within 20 minutes, for many in rural America, it can take more than 50 minutes. Fewer than 41% of rural hospitals provide labour and delivery services, and in 12 states, fewer than one third do. Postnatal care has also been severely impacted, with continued closures limiting access even further.
Although maternity care deserts exist across the country, the rural South has been hit especially hard. Limited access in this region has significantly contributed to the national increase in preventable pregnancy-related deaths. Southern states like Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia account for the majority of states with the worst access to care.
In Alabama, there are 27.5 maternal care providers per 100,000 residents, compared with 67.1 in New Hampshire. Many of these states also enforce strict abortion bans, creating what advocates describe as “double deserts.” Women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies while lacking access to proper prenatal, labor, and postnatal care, often resulting in higher rates of preterm birth and medical complications.
At the same time, hospitals are struggling with inadequate Medicaid reimbursement. Medicaid covers about 41% of all births nationwide, yet low reimbursement rates strain hospital budgets and limit access to services, including neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). This funding gap has further deepened inequities in maternal care. The government’s failure to address these systemic issues reflects a troubling lack of political will.
At a time when people are being forced to carry unwanted pregnancies and access to labor, delivery, and postnatal care is rapidly shrinking, meaningful government intervention is urgently needed. Instead, policymakers continue to fall short of their responsibility to protect public health. It is time for government leaders to take accountability and invest in equitable, accessible maternal healthcare. Everyone deserves safe and timely care, and it is the government’s duty to ensure that no one is left behind.