Miles from Care:
OB/GYN Deserts in Rural Washington
1 in 6 women in Washington live too far from maternity care.
Across Washington State, access to maternity care isn’t guaranteed. According to the March of Dimes, 1 in 6 women of childbearing age live more than 30 minutes from the nearest birthing facility. For many, that distance can mean delayed care, high-risk deliveries, or choosing between safety and affordability.
This is not just a statistic — it’s a design failure in our healthcare system. The icon chart below puts a human face to the numbers.
For many women in Washington State, pregnancy starts with a long drive. In 2023, the March of Dimes classified over 20% of Washington counties as maternity care deserts — areas with no OB/GYN clinics, hospitals, or birth centers. This lack of care isn’t just inconvenient.
It’s dangerous. This story explores the declining access to maternal care across rural Washington and the design systems — both digital and geographic — that leave women behind.
What Is Maternity Care
Desert?
Washington’s Unequal Map of Care
Washington Counties by Maternity Care Access Level
20.5% of counties are full maternity care deserts, according to March of Dimes.
Infographic created with datawrapper
OB/GYN Facility Closures Have Increased Over the Past 20 Years
Estimated decline of maternity units in WA, 2005–2023
Infographic created with datawrapper
“Recruiting OB/GYNs can be difficult in rural areas,” said Neely, a CNM in Omak. (WSHA, 2024)
“We lost our birthing center last year. Now, the nearest is 65 miles away.”
Symbol Map —
Travel Time
Estimated travel time to nearest birthing hospital (in minutes)
In Some WA Counties, Women Drive Over an Hour for Delivery
Infographic created with datawrapper
"Maternity Care Desert” is defined as no hospital offering obstetric care and no OB/GYN or CNM providers in the area.
Sources: March of Dimes, Washington DOH
Data Sources
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UAty5/1/
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9ZIpQ/1/
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/zGPni/1/
https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/reports/mcd/Maternity-Care-Report-Washington.pdf
https://doh.wa.gov
https://www.wsha.org/weekly-newsletter/weekly-report-fri-aug-30-2024-thu-sep-5-2024/overcoming-obstetric-deserts-how-certified-nurse-midwives-deliver-rural-birth-care
Alina Mao
COMMLD 530
Product Designer
Images included in this template are courtesy of Unsplash.
Tools used (Datawrapper, Figma)
Instructed by Geoff McGhee
