In August, the national nonprofit organization March of Dimes — dedicated to improving the health of mothers and babies in the U.S. — released a report designating a third of Iowa’s counties as maternity care deserts, meaning they have no obstetrics and gynecology services or birthing hospitals.
Between 2020-21, eight Iowa hospitals saw the closure of their labor and delivery units, and 40 more were at risk of total closure in 2022 due to low or non-existent financial reserves and a negative financial margin over three years.
One way this care disparity is being combatted is by midwives, like Moira Weitz, a Certified Nurse Midwife who has been practicing for 19 years.
Weitz said not only do midwives provide access to maternal care, but they also provide women with choices for how they will deliver.
