RayAnn Hessenthaler

After 16 years as an obstetric nurse in our rural hospital, I’ve witnessed firsthand how essential our maternal and newborn services are to the health and vitality of our entire community.  As health care systems nationwide face financial pressure and rural hospitals struggle to maintain specialized services, I want to share why protecting and supporting our OB services isn’t just important — it’s crucial to our community’s wellbeing.

The Reality of Rural Birth

The reality of rural health care is that distance isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier that can mean the difference between life and death. When complications arise during pregnancy or delivery, seconds matter. A mother experiencing preeclampsia, a baby in distress, or an emergency cesarean section cannot wait for an hour-long ambulance ride to the nearest city hospital. Our local OB services provide that critical safety net that urban families take for granted.

But it's not just about emergencies. Regular prenatal care is the foundation of healthy pregnancies and babies. When expectant mothers have to travel significant distances for routine checkups, many simply skip appointments they can't afford to miss work for, or don't have reliable transportation to attend. This leads to undiagnosed complications, higher rates of pregnancy-related health issues, and ultimately, poorer outcomes for both mothers and babies.

I've also seen how our local OB services create a sense of community that extends far beyond the hospital walls. The relationships we build with families often span generations. We've delivered babies whose parents we also delivered years ago. We know our patients' families, their histories, and their unique needs in ways that distant, impersonal medical centers simply cannot replicate. This continuity of care creates trust, improves health outcomes, and strengthens the social fabric of our community.

Economic Impact on Families and Communities

Our local OB services support the health of our community in ways that extend outside the delivery room. Young families are the driving force of rural communities. When couples know they can safely start and grow their families here, they're more likely to put down roots, buy homes, support local businesses, and contribute to our local economy. Without these services, we risk losing our next generation to urban areas where comprehensive health care is more readily available.

The economic impact cannot be understated. Health care jobs are among the most stable and well-paying positions in rural areas. Our OB services employ not just nurses and physicians, but support staff, technicians and administrators who spend their paychecks in our local stores, restaurants and service providers. When we lose these services, we lose more than just health care — we lose economic stability and community vitality.

Beyond the Delivery Room

What many people don't realize is that our local OB services are not just about the birth of the baby. We provide comprehensive care that encompasses the entire journey of motherhood and early childhood. Our team offers prenatal education, breastfeeding support, postpartum care and ongoing pediatric services that are crucial for healthy development in those critical first months and years.

In the weeks following delivery, new mothers need frequent follow-up care to monitor their recovery, address complications like postpartum depression, healing, family dynamic and bonding, and ensure successful infant feeding. When these services are hours away, many mothers simply go without this essential care. I've seen the consequences: untreated postpartum complications, failed breastfeeding attempts that could have been successful with proper support, and mothers struggling alone with issues that could have been easily addressed with local care. Our community has seen tragedies involving young children and babies that solidify how crucial follow-up care is.

Our pediatric services also ensure that babies receive timely immunizations, developmental screenings, and early intervention services when needed. These aren't just conveniences — they're the building blocks of healthy communities. When children miss these crucial early health care touchpoints because of distance barriers, we see higher rates of preventable childhood illnesses and developmental delays that could have been caught and treated early.

The Domino Effect
on Health care

The 24/7 coverage required for obstetric care also strengthens our emergency response capabilities. The nursing staff trained in high-risk obstetric situations brings expertise in rapid assessment, emergency protocols, and critical care that benefits all patients who come through our doors. 

Furthermore, hospitals often struggle financially when OB services close. Maternity care, while challenging, helps support the hospital system as a whole. Without this service line, facilities may be forced to cut other programs, reduce staff, or in worst-case scenarios, close entirely. We've seen this devastating pattern repeat in rural communities across the country and right here in Wyoming — first the OB unit closes, then gradually other services disappear, leaving the community with no local hospital at all.

The Path Forward

The challenges facing rural health care are real and significant. We face staffing shortages, financial pressures, and regulatory hurdles that our urban counterparts don't experience to the same degree. But these challenges are not insurmountable. With adequate support from our community, health care systems, and policymakers, we can continue to provide the high-quality obstetric care that our families deserve.

As health care professionals, we've made a commitment to serve our community, but we cannot do it alone. We need community members to advocate for continued funding and support for local OB services. We need policymakers to understand that rural health care isn't just about efficiency metrics — it's about ensuring that geography doesn't determine whether a family can safely welcome a new life into the world.

Our rural community has always been defined by neighbors helping neighbors, by people who understand that we're stronger when we take care of each other. Supporting local OB services isn't just about health care policy — it’s an investment in our community’s future.  Every baby born here represents hope, continuity, and the promise that our rural community will endure for generations to come.

As an OB nurse, I’ve had the privilege of being present for some of the most profound moments in families’ lives. I’ve held the hand of nervous first-time fathers, coached mothers through difficult labor, and celebrated with families as they welcome new life.  But beyond these precious moments, I’ve also been there for the emergencies, the complications, and the times when quick action saved lives. I’ve experienced first-hand being cared for personally by staff at Powell Valley Healthcare in my most vulnerable, and life-changing moments. Choosing PVHC for my health care needs has always been an easy decision not only for obvious reasons like being employed there and proximity, but also because it is easy to trust your friends, fellow church members, and neighbors that also happen to work as health care professionals at our local hospital.

(RayAnn Hessenthaler is a registered nurse with 16 years of experience in obstetric care at Powell Valley Healthcare. She was born and raised in Powell and lives here with her husband and three children.)