The maternal health crisis in a state ranked first in the nation for medical care

Massachusetts faces a concerning trend of maternity unit closures, with 13 facilities shuttering since 2010 despite the state's top-tier national health rankings. These closures stem from hospitals prioritizing more lucrative services, as labor and delivery units face high fixed costs and volume-dependent revenue models. Current metrics used by organizations like March of Dimes fail to capture the reality of these gaps, as county-level data masks the specific hardships faced by residents in gateway cities. Furthermore, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health lacks the regulatory authority to prevent hospitals from closing these essential services, leaving communities vulnerable. Alecia McGregor of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Katie Murphy of the Massachusetts Nurses Association highlight that these closures disrupt long-standing patient-provider relationships, disproportionately affect low-income and immigrant populations, and ultimately contribute to deteriorating maternal and neonatal health outcomes across the Commonwealth.