Rural California Hospitals Innovate to Bring Back Maternity Care

As of November 2025, rural hospitals in California are taking steps to restore maternity care services that have been disappearing across the state. Plumas District Hospital, which closed its maternity ward in 2022 due to declining birth rates and high operating costs, is now planning to open a new birth center and standby maternity unit next year.

This change is made possible by two recent state laws that give rural hospitals more flexibility in how they offer birth services. One law creates a 10-year pilot program allowing hospitals to operate "standby" maternity units that only operate when needed, rather than providing 24/7 service. Another law relaxes licensing requirements for birth centers run by midwives.

The need for these innovations is clear. Dozens of hospitals in rural and urban areas of California have stopped delivering babies in the past decade, leaving many families with long drives to reach the nearest maternity ward. This was the case for Emily Meyers, who had to race 2 hours from her home to Reno, Nevada when her son was born in her car 13 minutes from the hospital in 2022.

Plumas District Hospital's new birth center and standby unit aim to provide more options for expectant mothers in the remote Sierra Nevada region. Hospital leaders say maternity care is essential for maintaining a vibrant rural community, and they are optimistic the community will embrace the new services.