![](./pubData/source/images/pages/page14.jpg)
Access to specialized maternity care is critical to the health of moms and their babies, and has been a significant problem in the rural areas of South Texas. That’s why University Health is working with federal officials and rural health care providers across the region to develop sustainable strategies to improve access and continuity of care for pregnant women.
A $3 million grant to University Health from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, established the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program.
“Our goal for the program is to identify new and sustainable strategies tailored to rural communities that will make a tremendous difference in the lives of mothers and children across America,” said HRSA acting administrator Tom Engels.
Through RMOMS, University Health is collaborating with rural hospitals, health centers, state Medicaid offices, Healthy Start and home visiting programs in Val Verde, Uvalde, Real, Zavala, Edwards and Kinney counties.
Together, this coalition is planning and implementing models to help improve prenatal and post-childbirth care through enhanced case management for new and expectant moms, as well as telemedicine consultations between rural providers and specialists at University Health.
The intent of this unique and collaborative program is to improve outcomes for moms and babies, as every woman should have access to high quality maternity care and follow-up obstetric care regardless of the size of their community.