Maternity care deserts, areas without any accessible maternity care, are prevalent in Pennsylvania.  In recent data from March of Dimes,  7.5% of counties in Pennsylvania are maternity care deserts, and nearly 12.4% of women in our state lack access to a birthing hospital within a 30-minute drive—a stark contrast to the national average of 9.7%. The consequences of these deserts are dire, particularly for Black women and other communities of color. Women living in these areas face a 13% higher risk of preterm birth, a staggering statistic that highlights the urgent need for action.

The federal government has developed the designation of Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas (MCTAs) to analyze areas across the country that are in need of additional resources for maternal care. Pennsylvania currently does not have a way to identify areas that could be at risk of becoming a maternity care desert.
 
Building upon the efforts and partnerships of many organizations throughout the commonwealth and the federal government, my legislation would create the designation of a maternal care access zone for the purpose of identifying areas across the Commonwealth considered to be at-risk or identified as maternity care deserts. It is critical that these areas are identified so additional resources may be given to improve maternal health outcomes.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that would improve maternal health outcomes by designating maternal care access zones across Pennsylvania.