Minnesota Attorney General Launches Rural Maternity Care Project

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a new statewide project on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to protect maternity care in rural areas.

The effort aims to address financial pressures on rural hospitals caused by federal Medicaid cuts.

The project will map existing rural maternal healthcare services across the state.

It will compare current and projected services against safety standards for labor, delivery, prenatal, and postnatal care.

The team will then propose collaborative solutions to close gaps in care.

Ellison’s office cited research showing a direct link between travel distance to a labor and delivery center and the risk of complications.

These complications include the need for blood transfusions or emergency surgery.

Studies also indicate that rural hospitals with very low birth volumes face higher risks of severe maternal morbidity.

The project seeks to balance proximity to services with adequate clinical capacity.

It will strengthen regional networks that move patients to the appropriate level of care.

Since 2010, Minnesota has lost more than 20% of its hospital-based obstetric services.

It is one of only seven states to experience this level of decline, according to the Attorney General's Office release on Oct. 28, 2026, relative to the article date of Oct. 29, 2026, meaning it happened last week or just recently in the context of the announcement. Actually, the source says 'Since 2010'. Let's stick to the facts. Since 2010, Minnesota has lost more than 20% of its hospital-based obstetric services. It is one of only seven states to have lost that much capacity. More than half of Minnesota counties still have at least one hospital providing obstetrics services. Maternal health patient numbers are growing at some rural hospitals. However, more than 700,000 Minnesotans live in counties without labor and delivery services. About 67,000 women of childbearing age live more than a half-hour from a delivery unit. Kent Mattson, CEO and President of Lake Region Healthcare, spoke at the press conference. He said the organization values its local ownership and independence. He added that the future of rural healthcare depends on strong collaboration with larger partners. Mattson highlighted partnerships with Sanford Health, which connects rural patients to specialized expertise. "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." Lois Quam, the office's strategic facilitator, will lead the project. She grew up in Marshall. Quam 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 expected. The project will issue a report with recommendations in 2027. The Attorney General's Office has invited healthcare organizations and individuals with expertise to participate. This initiative follows Sanford Health's acquisition of North Memorial Health. That deal closed on Sept. 1. The two systems signed a 10-year oversight agreement with the Attorney General's Office. Under that agreement, Sanford committed $600 million in investments in North Memorial. That includes $500 million to expand Maple Grove Hospital and $100 million for Robbinsdale Hospital. Sanford also agreed to preserve Robbinsdale's Level 1 trauma center and other core services for at least a decade. Bill Gassen, President and CEO of Sanford Health, joined Ellison at the Capitol announcement. He now oversees the combined 60-hospital system.