Lake and Cook

Maternity health care deserts, defined as regions lacking obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities, exist in nearly every U.S. state, including Minnesota. Twenty-four Minnesota counties are currently considered these deserts, affecting about 64,000 women and resulting in roughly 4,000 annual births. These issues are projected to worsen due to ongoing cuts to Medicaid, which covered a significant portion of U.S. births in 2023.