Maternal care deserts remain concern in rural Missouri, Kansas communities

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Three dozen rural hospitals across Kansas and Missouri are in danger of being shut down.

New findings just released by March of Dimes show maternal care deserts in a lot of these areas.

Bates County Memorial Hospital CEO Greg Weaver took KCTV5 on a tour Thursday, but there was one thing he couldn’t show: a maternity ward.

“You can’t be born in Bates County now unless you’re born at home,” says Weaver.

Maternal care at the rural hospital was completely dissolved in 2009. Lifelong Bates Countian Belinda Schapeler had one of the last babies ever born there.

“Dr. Long delivered me, delivered my husband, delivered both kids my son was next to the last one,” said Belinda Schapeler.

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Weaver said when their maternity ward closed down, there weren’t enough deliveries to keep up with government regulations.

“When your population of births are below the threshold of competencies, it becomes a risk. The risk increases for insurance companies, and it becomes uninsurable,” said Weaver.

He said the bottom line wasn’t helping.

“If we got to get right down to it a hospital is a business and OB deliveries are not profitable.”

When asked about the biggest danger in not offering maternal care in Bates County, Weaver doesn’t hesitate with his honesty.

“Deaths. Birth deaths. Those numbers are out there and they do happen in Bates County,” says Weaver.

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