Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act

The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act would create and expand federal grant programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration to address maternal health care gaps in rural communities. The bill would provide grants to rural hospitals and hospital consortiums to fund training programs, workforce development, and equipment purchases specifically focused on handling obstetric emergencies. These grants would target areas experiencing shortages of obstetric practitioners and facilities.

Additionally, the bill would require expansion of an existing HRSA program to provide emergency obstetric training for healthcare practitioners in rural facilities without dedicated obstetric units. The legislation would also establish a pilot program offering grants to government entities to develop or improve telehealth systems that could provide urgent maternal health care support to rural facilities lacking obstetric services. If enacted, these provisions could help reduce maternal health care access disparities between rural and urban areas by strengthening emergency response capabilities and expanding training opportunities for rural health care providers.