We fund the RMOMS program to increase access to maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities. This improves health outcomes for mothers and infants.
Why did we create the RMOMS program?
Rural mothers have more trouble getting care:
- 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 continue. African American and American Indian/Alaskan Native patients have a higher risk than white patients.5
These challenges highlight the need for innovative, flexible models of care.
RMOMS also aligns with important government-wide initiatives, including the HHS Rural Action Plan (PDF - 635 KB).
What does the RMOMS program do?
RMOMS awardees test programs to address unmet needs for their target population. These populations may have suffered from poorer health outcomes, health disparities, and other inequities.
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.
If the programs are successful, they can serve as a model for other rural networks.
How long does the RMOMS program last?
RMOMS is a four-year program. The first year is dedicated to planning followed by three years of putting it into action. We evaluate our program and the results tell us what helps maternal care and what doesn’t.
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 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 |
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) (PDF - 403 KB) | $600,000 |
| Taos Health Systems, Inc. | Taos | NM | Colfax, Harding, Mora, Taos, and Union counties | Rural Ob Access & Maternal Services Network (ROAMS) (PDF - 447 KB) | $593,400 |
| Bexar County Hospital District | San Antonio | TX | Edwards, Kinney, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala counties | TX-RMOMS Comprehensive Maternal Care Network (PDF - 539 KB) | $599,090 |
Learn More About RMOMS
FY 2019 Cohort - First Evaluation Report Executive Summary (PDF - 176 KB)
FY 2019 Cohort - First Evaluation Report (PDF - 1 MB)
FY 2019 Cohort - Second Evaluation Report Executive Summary (PDF - 318 KB)
FY 2019 Cohort - Second Evaluation Report (PDF - 1 MB)
RMOMS Awardee Directory - FY 2019 Cohort (PDF - 1 MB)
Learn More About Maternal Health
HRSA Maternal/Women’s Health
Maternal Mortality Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center
Maternal Health Rural Health Research Gateway
Contact Us
Victoria (Vicky) Tsai
RMOMS Program Coordinator
Email: RMOMS@hrsa.gov
Phone: 301-443-8930
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.
3Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4 February 2020.
4Severe 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.