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Dr. Julia Interrante: Decline of rural obstetric services

January 7, 2026

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Fewer than half of rural hospitals deliver babies—and among the ones that do, many are losing money, putting their labor and delivery units at risk of closure. On January 7, 2026, SciLine interviewed Dr. Julia Interrante, a research fellow and statistical lead at the University of Minnesota’s Rural Health Research Center.

TV bundle includes:

Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
Localizable data

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Soundbite (SOT) and pronouncer

Downloadable video of the soundbite

High definition (mp4, 1280x720)

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Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)

ANCHOR
A NEW REPORT SHOWS THAT NEARLY SIX-MILLION-WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES LIVE IN COUNTIES WITHOUT MATERNITY CARE AT THEIR LOCAL HOSPITAL.

VO
THE PROBLEM IS ESPECIALLY BAD IN RURAL AREAS… WHERE SOME WOMEN LIVE HOURS AWAY FROM A HOSPITAL THAT CAN DELIVER BABIES.
DOCTOR JULIA INTERRANTE IS A RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA… AND SAYS THAT LONG DRIVES TO GIVE BIRTH CAN POSE SERIOUS RISKS TO MOMS AND BABIES.

SOT
Duration: 0:33
Super: Dr. Julia Interrante – Researcher, University of Minnesota
“From our research, we know that places that lose access to maternity care services have higher risks of preterm birth, more births outside of the hospital ,and often that’s on the side of the road, as people are trying to get to the hospital where they plan to give birth. And we also see higher rates of births in hospitals without obstetric units. And this is a major challenge because, in interviews with those hospitals, 80%, that they didn’t have the training or resources needed to handle those emergency birth situations.”

VO
DOCTOR INTERRANTE SAYS MORE THAN 600-HOSPITALS STOPPED DELIVERING BABIES BETWEEN 20-20 AND 20-23… AND THAT CUTS TO MEDICAID COULD MAKE THE PROBLEM WORSE.

Raw, full-length interview covers:

Trends in rural obstetric unit closures over time;
How long drives to the hospital to give birth put women and babies at elevated risk of complications or death;
How changes to federal Medicaid funding may impact rural hospitals;
Financial and workforce challenges in providing maternity care in rural communities;
Innovative ways for hospitals and communities to maintain obstetric services; and
Potential policy solutions to the longstanding trend of rural areas losing labor and delivery units.