The purpose of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program is to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities through testing models that address the following RMOMS focus areas: Rural Regional Approaches to Risk Appropriate Care, Network Approach to Coordinating a Continuum of Care, Leveraging Telehealth and Specialty Care and Financial Sustainability.
The goals of the RMOMS program are to: (i) develop a sustainable network approach to coordinate maternal and obstetrics care within a rural region; (ii) increase the delivery and access of preconception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum services; (iii) develop sustainable financing models for the provision of maternal and obstetrics care; and (iv) improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ways to achieve these goals through an established or formal regional network structure.
This pilot program intends to demonstrate the impact on access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities through testing models that address the following RMOMS Focus Areas:
- Rural Hospital Obstetric Service Aggregation
- Network Approach to Coordinating a Continuum of Care
- Leveraging Telehealth and Specialty Care
- Financial Sustainability
Applicants are required to incorporate all four of the RMOMS Focus Areas in their proposals. Additionally, applicants are required to address the focus-specific questions listed below as they prepare a response. Responses do not have to be limited to those questions and may include additional information related to the Focus Areas.
Rural Hospital Obstetric Service Aggregation
- Could a regional network with several rural hospitals that are facing challenges in providing obstetric services aggregate obstetric services to one specific rural or critical access hospital (CAH) within the regional network to ensure enough patient volume to be financially viable and provide high-quality obstetric services?
Network Approach to Coordinating a Continuum of Care
- If obstetrics services are aggregated in a regional network, could the other rural hospitals, community health centers, and other clinical network partners then focus on improving access to the continuum of care: preconception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum services?
- Are there ways to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes by developing more formal case management that includes rural hospitals and clinics working closely with existing HRSA award recipients such as Community Health Centers, Home Visiting and Healthy Start programs?
Leveraging Telehealth and Specialty Care
- How can rural networks collaborate with upstream tertiary providers to enhance case management of higher-risk expectant mothers living in geographically isolated areas?
- What role can telehealth applications, such as fetal monitoring, play in supporting rural clinicians and the obstetric patients they serve?
Financial Sustainability
- Can rural networks, in partnership with Medicaid and other payers, demonstrate improved outcomes and potential savings?
None is available.