A new federal grant aims to bolster maternal health services in rural Maine.
The administrator for the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Carole Johnson, visited Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway on Monday to announce that MaineHealth is receiving $1 million to increase telehealth services. She said the goal is to preserve access after several hospitals ended maternity services in recent years.
"What today's award is about, which is innovative models for how we can start to solve for this problem, so that it isn't the case that women have fewer choices and women struggle with access and transportation issues," Johnson said.
MaineHealth officials said the funding will also support efforts to address underlying maternal health issues, such as hypertension and diabetes. If Congress continues to appropriate funding, the grant will continue for four years and total $4 million.
