Nobody wants to land in the hospital, but the one time most of us are happy to be there is to see the miracle of childbirth safely and professionally attended. After all, it wasn’t so long ago that bringing new life into the world was a leading cause of death for women.
Unfortunately, in large swaths of rural California, modern medical care for pregnant women is becoming a thing of the past. In entire counties in the North State, including Modoc, Colusa, Glenn and Plumas, hospitals no longer offer labor-and-delivery care. Between staffing challenges and low reimbursements, even community hospitals long dedicated to providing the vital service couldn’t keep it up.
This means delivering a baby in a hospital with modern care available can involve moving to a larger city for weeks around the child’s due date – which not all families can afford – or risking very long drives to the nearest full-service hospital and the very real prospect of a dangerous roadside birth.
Finding a way to reverse this trend is why I am a proud coauthor of Senate Bill 669. I’m honored to work alongside lead author Senator Mike McGuire on this critical, bipartisan legislation. Together, we are responding to a rapidly escalating crisis: the loss of access to obstetric care for families across rural California.
Around California, 56 hospitals have stopped delivering babies in California since 2012. These closures are not spread evenly—they disproportionately impact rural areas. In Senate Districts 1 and 2 alone, which Sen. McGuire and I represent and cover the rural counties north of Sacramento and the Bay Area, eight maternity wards have closed in recent years.
The consequences are profound. Expectant mothers must travel long distances—often over winding mountain roads, through severe weather, and with little or no cell service—to reach care. This is not simply a logistical challenge. It is a risk to the health and safety of both mother and baby. I know families who have lived this nightmare. One close friend gave birth in the backseat of a car, miles from the nearest hospital. Their story ended safely—but others haven’t. No mother should have to deliver under such dangerous and uncertain circumstances.
These challenges ripple outward, discouraging young families from settling in rural communities and weakening local economies. When essential healthcare services disappear, the viability of entire towns is called into question.
To ease the staffing and financial strains while still providing safe care, SB 669 will allow a 5-year pilot of an alternative model – developed largely in Plumas County, where Quincy’s Plumas District Hospital recently had to stop delivering babies, meaning a nearly 90-mile drive on tough mountain roads to the next available hospital. The basic concept of the “Plumas Model” is that freestanding birthing centers will lead the care for pregnant women and handle low-risk births. Local hospitals, meanwhile, will maintain “standby” perinatal service for complications – on call and available within 30 minutes, but not staffed 24/7 in a way that many small hospitals simply cannot sustain. This will allow Plumas District Hospital to bring maternity care back to the community.
This innovative, community-driven pilot program has the support of hospital districts, Partnership HealthPlan of California and many professional groups as it appropriately balances the need for high-quality care that can be provided in small communities. It applies only to hospitals that have closed their obstetrics departments before this year and are far from alternatives, so it won’t accelerate closures, but I believe it can provide the model that brings essential care back to rural areas.
The health of mothers and babies should never be determined by geography. With SB 669, we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step toward protecting rural maternity care, strengthening communities, and ensuring that every family—no matter their zip code—can welcome new life safely and with dignity.
Let’s do what’s right for California’s mothers, children, and future.
This op-ed was published in the Modoc Record, Print Version, on May 15, 2025.