Despite an annual demand of 400+ births in the Ottawa, Kansas area, expectant mothers were still facing travel times of 45 minutes or more to the nearest delivery facility. In an effort to close the maternal healthcare gap in rural Kansas, AdventHealth reopened a labor and delivery services clinic in Ottawa. Now, patients have timely access to care, and 60% of AdventHealth Ottawa hospital staff are local residents, providing care directly to their community. AdventHealth Ottawa was forced to temporarily close its labor and delivery program in November 2023 due to a physician shortage. However, on September 22, 2025, the AdventHealth Ottawa Family Birth Place reopened with 11 full-time labor and delivery team employees, restoring access to obstetric (OB) services in Franklin County and surrounding areas.
Why we did it
Nationally, 9% of expectant mothers have to drive more than 30 minutes for labor and delivery services. In rural communities like Ottawa, Kansas, that number is closer to 66%, according to Advisory Board. This healthcare gap leads to delayed prenatal care, increased complication rates during delivery, and puts a strain on families both financially and mentally. Through deliberate recruiting efforts, AdventHealth worked to re-establish access to labor and delivery services in Ottawa; ultimately reopening the Family Birth Place at AdventHealth Ottawa in September 2025. Recognizing that Ottawa had become an ‘OB desert’, a community with limited or no nearby access to obstetric and maternal care, AdventHealth viewed it as critical to restore labor and delivery services in the area.
