STATEWIDE — A partnership between multiple Maine hospitals is allowing obstetrics programs to grow in rural areas.
Maine’s rural landscape has caused many to experience the phenomenon of “obstetrics deserts,” which doctors say are situations where those needing reproductive care have to travel far away or have little to no access to healthcare related to pregnancy or birth.
“We’ve seen a real increase in patients [from] beyond, and in Washington county. We just announced our first baby of the year, and that baby…is from Calais,” said Kelley Columber, Communications Director for Northern Light Health Blue Hill and Ellsworth.
A federal HRSA grant totaling over $700,000 is allowing 4 major Maine hospitals to come together with a collaborative to increase obstetrics care in rural areas and end “OB deserts.” Doctors in residency will be trained in rural settings to better understand obstetrics care in small towns.
“They’re not teaching them how to catch a baby. They know how to do that. It’s the sort of the nuances of …