The statistics on rural maternal health are eye-opening:
More than half of all rural U.S. counties lack hospital obstetric services.1 Closures are more common in small hospitals and communities with a limited obstetric workforce.2 Maternal mortality and morbidity are rising.3,4
Large racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality persist. They are two to three times higher for African American and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients than White patients.5
To address these problems, HRSA created the RMOMS program.
What does the RMOMS program do?
RMOMS improves maternal care in rural communities by:
- Collecting data on rural hospital obstetric services;
- Building networks to coordinate continuum of care;
- Leveraging telehealth and specialty care; and
- Improving financial sustainability.
RMOMS aligns with important government-wide initiatives, including the HHS Rural Action Plan (PDF - 635 KB).
This program will allow awardees to test models in order to address unmet needs for their target population. This includes populations who may have suffered from poorer health outcomes, health disparities and other inequities.
How long is the RMOMS program?
RMOMS is a four-year program structured by one year of planning followed by three years of implementation. We are also funding an evaluation to learn what helps and hinders maternal care and the delivery of high-quality, culturally responsive care in rural areas—and will use these results to replicate the program.
Cohort 1: HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded the initial pilot (September 2019 to August 2023).
Cohort 2: HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has funded a second cohort (September 2021 to August 2025).
What awardees and networks are in the RMOMS program?
FY 2019 Award Recipients and Networks
| Organization | City | State | Service Area | Network | FY19 Award Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Francis Medical Center | Cape Girardeau | MO | Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott, and Stoddard counties | Bootheel Perinatal Network (BPN) | $600,000 |
| Taos Health Systems, Inc. | Taos | NM | Colfax, Harding, Mora, Taos, and Union counties | Rural Ob Access & Maternal Services Network (ROAMS) | $593,400 |
| Bexar County Hospital District | San Antonio | TX | Edwards, Kinney, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala counties | TX-RMOMS Comprehensive Maternal Care Network | $599,090 |
FY 2021 Award Recipients and Networks
| Organization | City | State | Service Area | Network | FY21 Award Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota | Bemidji | MN | Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, and Itasca counties | Families First: Rural Maternity Health Collaborative | $922,562 |
| Big Springs Medical Association, Inc. | Ellington | MO | Butler, Carter, Iron, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, and Wayne counties | RMOM-Southeast Missouri Partnership (RMOM-SMP) | $1,000,000 |
| WV Perinatal Partnership, Inc. | Charleston | WV | Braxton, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Roane, Upshur, and Webster counties | The West Virginia Rural Maternity and Obstetric Management Strategies Collaborative (WV RMOMS) | $999,685 |
Where can I learn more about maternal health and the RMOMS program evaluation?
2021 RMOMS Annual Report Executive Summary (PDF - 176 KB)
2021 RMOMS Annual Evaluation Report (PDF - 1.4 MB)
FY19 RMOMS Fact Sheet (PDF - 316 KB)
Maternal Mortality – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center 
HRSA Maternal/Women’s Health
Maternal Health – Rural Health Research Gateway
Who do I contact about the RMOMS program?
Krista M. Mastel, MPH
RMOMS Program Coordinator
E-mail: RMOMS@hrsa.gov
Phone: 301-443-0491
1Hung, et. al. Access To Obstetric Services In Rural Counties Still Declining, With 9 Percent Losing Services, 2004–14 , Health Affairs, September 2017.
2 Hung, et. al. Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors? , Health Services Research, 25 January 2016.
3 Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 February 2020.
4 Severe Maternal Morbidity in the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 January 2020.
5 Infographic: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths — United States 2007-2016, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 February 2020.
