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Minnesota Value:
Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older
Minnesota Rank:
Appears In:
Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older
US Value: 46.0
Top State(s): Alaska: 103.8
Bottom State(s): Alabama: 27.5
Definition: Number of obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives per 100,000 females ages 15 and older
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Women’s health providers — such as obstetricians, gynecologists and midwives — specialize in reproductive topics such as pregnancy, contraception (birth control) and menopause, as well as long-term health and wellness. They provide important preventive health services for women of reproductive age, including:
Moreover, women’s health providers provide critical care throughout pregnancy. Prenatal care involving frequent medical visits, lifestyle changes and monitoring over time and a meaningful relationship with a consistent provider is associated with higher quality of care. A sense of trust in the relationship leads to more open communication, more informed women and more informed providers. Furthermore, patients are more likely to follow advice from someone they trust.
The number of women’s health providers is higher in urban areas compared with rural areas.
Strategies to increase access to, and use of, women’s health providers include:
Healthy People 2030 does not specifically address increasing the number of women’s health providers, but they have several goals related to cancer screening, family planning, pregnancy and childbirth. Their women’s health objectives include:
The White House has a goal to address the shortage of maternal health providers by expanding scope of practice and improving insurance coverage of doulas, licensed midwives and community health workers, as well as increasing the number of physicians in underserved communities.
“ACOG Committee Opinion No. 586: Health Disparities in Rural Women.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 123, no. 2 (February 2014): 384–88. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000443278.06393.d6.
“Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities.” Issue Brief. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2019. https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/rural-health/09032019-Maternal-Health-Care-in-Rural-Communities.pdf.
Long, Michelle, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, and 2021. “Women’s Health Care Utilization and Costs: Findings from the 2020 KFF Women’s Health Survey.” Issue Brief. KFF, April 21, 2021. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/womens-health-care-utilization-and-costs-findings-from-the-2020-kff-womens-health-survey/.
Sword, Wendy, Maureen I Heaman, Sandy Brooks, Suzanne Tough, Patricia A Janssen, David Young, Dawn Kingston, Michael E Helewa, Noori Akhtar-Danesh, and Eileen Hutton. “Women’s and Care Providers’ Perspectives of Quality Prenatal Care: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 12, no. 1 (December 2012): 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-12-29.
Tikkanen, Roosa, Munira Z. Gunja, Molly FitzGerald, and Laurie Zephyrin. “Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries.” The Commonwealth Fund, November 18, 2020. https://doi.org/10.26099/411v-9255.
“White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.” Washington, D.C.: The White House, June 2022. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Maternal-Health-Blueprint.pdf.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.