New Mexico has a shortage of health workers and access to medical care, including obstetric care, is difficult.

According to the University of New Mexico College of Population HealthThirty-three percent of the state’s counties are considered “obstetric deserts,” with little or no access to obstetric providers.

For a single mother in Las Vegas, this means having to travel several hours each way for doctor’s appointments for both herself and her newborn baby.

“It’s hard having kids here in Vegas. My doctor had to help me schedule all of my doctor’s appointments during my pregnancy so I could take time off,” she told a member of the College of Population Health.

She also had to find childcare for her other children while she attended her doctor’s appointments.

Alta Vista Regional Hospital in Las Vegas has closed the maternity ward in 2022 due to a lack of nursing staff.

According to a 2023 report by the March of Dimes In New Mexico, women from counties with the longest commute times drove an average of up to 97.1 miles to the nearest maternity hospital. About 18% of New Mexico residents do not have a maternity hospital within 30 minutes of their home, which is higher than the national percentage of nearly 10% of the population.

“The lack of obstetric care is due to several factors, including New Mexico’s geographic size, the demanding work schedules of health care providers, and the need for infrastructure development,” says the university’s Division of Population Health. “In rural areas, professional isolation and limited health care development further exacerbate the problem.”

Lack of prenatal care can lead to pregnancy complications, birth complications for mother and baby, and even death.

The New Mexico Maternal Mortality Review Committee reported to the state parliamentarians By the end of 2023, it will be clear that maternal mortality in this state remains largely preventable and far above national rates.

The March of Dimes report suggested that states like New Mexico should expand Medicaid coverage, adopt a midwifery care model, implement reimbursement for doula care, and increase the availability of telemedicine across the state to cover a wider range of specialties.

The report referred to a program currently running in the northeast of the state, called Rural obstetric and maternity services in New MexicoThe program virtually connects northern New Mexico residents with providers for prenatal care and postnatal support.

However, broadband access is a problem in many of the state’s rural communities, which may delay the adoption of such technology, according to the UNM department.