AG's office launches statewide effort to strengthen rural maternity care

Lake Region Healthcare CEO and president Kent Mattson speaks at a press conference held with Attorney General Keith Ellison launching the "Strengthening Rural Maternal Healthcare in Minnesota" project at the Minnesota State Capitol on Oct. 28, 2026.Contributed / Minnesota Attorney General's Office By James Allen Today at 3:39 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? ST. PAUL — As rural hospitals face deeper financial pressure from federal Medicaid cuts, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison unveiled a statewide project on Wednesday, Oct. 28, aimed at protecting maternity care in rural Minnesota.According to a news release from the Attorney General's Office, the project will map existing rural maternal healthcare services in Minnesota — and what those services are projected to look like after the federal cuts take effect — against standards for safe access to labor and delivery services and prenatal and postnatal care, then propose collaborative solutions. ADVERTISEMENT Lake Region Healthcare CEO and President Kent Mattson, an early supporter of the "Strengthening Rural Maternal Healthcare in Minnesota" project, said Lake Region Healthcare backs the effort. At Wednesday's press conference, he said Lake Region Healthcare values its local ownership and independence, but that the future of rural healthcare rests on strong collaboration with larger partners such as Sanford Health, which connects rural patients to specialized expertise and services that cannot be delivered reliably in rural settings."We do know that the future of rural healthcare rests on strong collaboration," Mattson said. "Over decades, we've worked to partner with larger care partners across our region, across the state, in particular, Sanford Health, which is part of the care system in our communities and the region that we serve."Research cited by Ellison's office shows a direct correlation between the distance an expectant parent must travel to reach a labor and delivery center and the occurrence of complications, such as needing a blood transfusion or emergency surgery. At the same time, studies show that rural hospitals with very low birth volumes also present higher risks of severe maternal morbidity — a tension the project is meant to address by balancing proximity to services with adequate clinical capacity, while strengthening regional networks that move patients to the appropriate level of care.Since 2010, Minnesota has been one of only seven states to lose more than 20% of its hospital-based obstetric services, Ellison's office said. More than half of Minnesota counties still have at least one hospital with obstetrics services, and the numbers of maternal health patients are growing at some rural hospitals. Even so, the Attorney General's Office estimates that more than 700,000 Minnesotans live in counties without labor and delivery services, and that about 67,000 women of childbearing age live more than a half-hour from a delivery unit. ADVERTISEMENT In a Q-and-A session following the announcement, Ellison said the project will start from national and global standards for maternity care, including research from the University of Minnesota, and measure Minnesota's services against them, community by community. "Let's get together, let's figure out our strengths, figure out where we have some gaps, and let's, together, cover the gaps and build our strengths," he said.Ellison has asked Lois Quam, his office's strategic facilitator, to lead the project.Quam, who grew up in Marshall, will convene an initial meeting before the end of 2026 to define the project's scope, timeline and goals. One or more public town hall meetings are anticipated, and the project will issue a report with recommendations in 2027.The Attorney General's Office has invited healthcare organizations and individuals with expertise — especially those living or working in rural areas — to take part in the project.The initiative has its roots in San