Maternity Ward Deserts in Wisconsin, 2011 and 2017

Distance to a maternity ward is correlated with adverse health effects for mothers and infants, motivating this study of maternity ward deserts in Wisconsin. Absolute distance from census tracts is used, as well as a multidimensional measure incorporating income/poverty and low rates of vehicle access, and each are compared to medically-underserved areas (MUAs). Absolute distance places deserts outside of urban areas relative to the multidimensional measure, with different patterns for race/ethnicity, and all are correlated with MUAs. Between 13% (multidimensional measure) and one-fifth (10 mile measure) of the population were in deserts as of 2017. Deserts defined by the 10 mile measure are positively correlated with rates of household vehicle access. A net reduction of 5 maternity wards between 2011 and 2017 resulted in a surprisingly reduced prevalence of maternity deserts (distance measure), although continued reductions in maternity wards may generate more adverse outcomes.