Closures of labor and delivery services at Arkansas hospitals in recent years have led to longer travel times for many Arkansas mothers. Longer travel times to delivery facilities have been associated with higher risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.
ACHI reviewed data on birth events occurring from 2019 to 2024 to estimate the travel times to delivery facilities for Arkansas mothers. Our findings are presented in this infographic.
Travel Time Analyses
- The statewide median minutes traveled to delivery facilities in 2024 was 16 minutes, but a look at mothers’ median travel times by county of residence found that travel times ranged from as short as 2 minutes to as long as 84 minutes.
- In some counties, increases in median travel times for residents followed the closure of local labor and delivery units. The infographic highlights the impact of recent closures in Phillips and Ashley counties.
- The percentage of Arkansas mothers traveling 30 minutes or more to delivery facilities increased from 26% in 2019 to 29% in 2024. The percentage traveling 60 minutes or more increased from 7% in 2019 to 8% in 2024.
- Southeast and Southwest Arkansas experienced the greatest increase in median travel times between 2019 and 2024, increasing from 24 to 39 minutes and from 27 to 37 minutes, respectively.
The data sources for these analyses were Arkansas Department of Health birth records (for in-state births) and the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative’s All-Payer Claims Database (for out-of-state births). Travel times were estimated using mothers’ home ZIP codes and the addresses of delivery facilities.
See more information about maternal and infant health in Arkansas on our topic page.
References
- Stopping the loss of rural maternity care. Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Accessed May 26, 2026. https://ruralhospitals.chqpr.org/Maternity_Care.html
- Minion SC, Krans EE, Brooks MM, Mendez DD, Haggerty CL. Association of driving distance to maternity hospitals and maternal and perinatal outcomes. Obstet Gynecol. 2022;140(5):812-819. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000004960
- American Medical Association. Maternal health: Expanding on the AMA’s recommendations to reduce deaths and improve outcomes. April 2024. https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/ama-maternal-health-recommendations.pdf
- Stoneburner A, Lucas R, Fontenot J, Brigance C, Jones E, DeMaria AL. Nowhere to go: Maternity care deserts across the U.S. March of Dimes. 2024. https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/2024_MoD_MCD_Report.pdf
