Dear John, 

Rural healthcare providers and hospitals are under attack from abortion bans. 

Abortion bans are causing OB/GYNs to leave states for fear of civil or criminal repercussions, especially in rural areas . Abortion bans exacerbate existing maternal care deserts where patients are unable to receive care due to a lack of hospitals or birthing centers. Nationally, more than a third of counties are maternity care deserts, and a majority of these counties are rural.

But maternal care deserts are not unique to states with abortion bans – they affect Minnesota too.

Essentia Health Services announced it will end labor and delivery services in Fosston, MN, forcing patients to drive 45 minutes for a delivery unit. This closure is part of a larger trend. In the past twenty years, the number of hospitals in Minnesota decreased , with an especially sharp decrease in obstetrics. Minnesotans also face increasing maternal mortality rates, with Black and Indigenous birthing people facing disproportionately high risks. 

Our state must not only be an island of abortion access, but a place where all people have pregnancy care, safe deliveries, and postpartum care.

Women Winning pro-choice champions deliver on legislation. Sen. Tina Smith authored the Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services (MOMS) Act to improve maternal and infant health in rural communities, which resulted in almost four million dollars in grant funding dedicated to healthcare providers in northern Minnesota. The Black Maternal Health Caucus organized to increase access to postnatal care and passed the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act. John, our pro-choice champions won’t stop fighting until everyone is able to make meaningful choices about their bodies and futures.

In solidarity, 

Team Women Winning