Please read the following article on Carolina Public Press.

‘We are not thought of’: The true impact of Western North Carolina’s maternal desert on rural women

In Western North Carolina, many of the region’s 153,000 childbearing-aged women often must travel long distances for prenatal care and delivery at the area’s eight hospitals. This often means pregnant people, especially those from rural WNC counties, have to drive hours to access health care. Maternal health experts and mothers discuss the causes, impact and potential solutions to addressing WNC’s “maternal care desert.”