Nearly half of Arkansas’ counties lack local maternity care, leaving tens of thousands of women without a nearby birthing facility or obstetric provider, according to a new report from March of Dimes. The organization’s 2026 maternity care report classified 44% of Arkansas counties as maternity care deserts based on healthcare access during 2024. A maternity care desert is defined as a county with no hospital or birth center providing labor and delivery services and no obstetric clinicians. Loading advertisement…Approximately 78,000 Arkansas women between the ages of 15 and 44 live in those counties, which account for nearly 5,000 births annually. The percentage of Arkansas counties classified as maternity care deserts is also higher than the national rate of approximately 35%.