Maternal Mortality Series: Episode 1

By Rachell Sanchez-Smith

Published May 15, 2023 at 4:34 PM CDT

Nearly half of Arkansas counties are "maternity care deserts" with no hospitals or birth centers offering obstetric care or providers, according to a report by the March of Dimes analyzing Health Resources and Services Administration data.

In a collaboration with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) and KUAF 91.3, ACHI CEO Dr. Joe Thompson and Ozarks At Large reporter Rachell Sanchez-Smith dive into depth about maternal health and deaths in Arkansas.

In this first episode, the pair focuses on pre-term deaths, which mothers are most impacted and what can be done to lower the high rates of maternal mortality.

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