The US is on the verge of a crisis in women’s health. Due to a culmination of pressure points over the last several years, the specialty has reached an inflection point—and a rising birth rate is about to push it over the edge. While unit closures, a lack of qualified providers, rising demand for services, poor outcomes, and legislative changes are all familiar challenges faced by provider organizations, the severity and speed at which they are happening in the women’s health space is resulting in unprecedented tests for the healthcare system, which will be felt acutely at the local levels.
Health systems and providers need to proactively invest in women’s health and implement strategies that will result in meaningful ROI and long-term sustainability. Organizations seeking to provide superior women’s healthcare to their patients should focus on:
- Integrating alternative providers (e.g., midwives, doulas) into the care continuum, adding depth and variety to the service line.
- Wrapping services in digital and virtual health offerings that can bridge the gap between clinic and home, thereby improving provider work-life balance, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes.
- Embracing new models of care, such as laborist programs that restructure call coverage arrangements into manageable, predictable acute care periods.
- Rethinking compensation to incentivize—and value—collaborative, supportive, and high-quality care.
- Investing in imaging and specialty skill sets that can support the demand for high-risk services, particularly for those patients in maternity care deserts.
Regardless of the approach taken, the time to act is now. After historic declines over the last 20 years, the US saw the birth rate increase by 1% in 2021.[1] And while the birth rate may never reach the highs of centuries past, we have likely seen the low point, which means health system leaders must prepare themselves for the necessity of rising volumes in a service line already fraught with challenges.
Edited by: Emily Johnson
Designed by: Mary Anne Akhouzine