Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 09, 2026
Birmingham OB/Gyn Wins $17,500 to Boost Rural Maternity Care
TLDR
- Birmingham OB/Gyn secured $17,500 from Alabama's ARHTP to link its EHR to the state exchange, gaining a strategic edge in rural maternity care coordination.
- Birmingham OB/Gyn will connect its Greenway PrimeSuite EHR to Alabama One Health Record, enabling secure data sharing across providers for coordinated maternity care.
- This grant helps rural Alabama women receive coordinated maternity care closer to home, improving health outcomes and access for underserved communities.
- Alabama's rural obstetrical services dropped from 45 hospitals in 1980 to just 15 by 2025, making this $17,500 tech grant a small but vital step.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it represents a concrete step toward addressing the maternal healthcare crisis in rural Alabama. With obstetrical services disappearing from rural counties—only 15 of 55 rural counties had hospitals providing obstetrical services by 2025, down from 45 in 1980—women face longer travel times and fragmented care. By connecting Birmingham OB/Gyn's electronic health record to Alabama One Health Record, the project aims to improve care coordination for patients who see multiple providers. This can lead to safer pregnancies, better postpartum outcomes, and more efficient use of healthcare resources. It also serves as a model for how technology and collaboration can help sustain access to specialty care in underserved areas. As other states grapple with similar rural health challenges, Alabama's ARHTP initiative could provide a blueprint for leveraging health information exchanges to support rural maternity care.
Summary
Birmingham Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C. has been selected as a recipient in the first funding round of the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program (ARHTP), a statewide initiative to strengthen healthcare access and outcomes in rural communities. The practice was awarded $17,500 to connect its electronic health record system to Alabama One Health Record, the state's health information exchange. This project aims to improve continuity and coordination of maternity care for rural patients who often receive care from multiple providers in different settings. Governor Kay Ivey announced the award as part of a first round that included 138 grants totaling more than $144 million to healthcare providers and organizations across Alabama.
Birmingham OB/Gyn serves women from communities throughout Alabama, including many who travel outside their home counties for obstetrical and specialty women's healthcare. The need for new approaches to rural maternity care has grown as local obstetrical services have declined: according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 45 of Alabama's 55 rural counties had hospitals providing obstetrical services in 1980; by 2025, that number had fallen to 15. For women who must travel for prenatal, specialty, delivery, or postpartum care, timely access to health information can help providers better coordinate care.
Through the ARHTP project, Birmingham OB/Gyn will connect its Greenway PrimeSuite electronic health record to Alabama One Health Record, enabling participating providers to securely access relevant patient information when women receive care in multiple settings during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. David Carmichael, CEO of Birmingham OB/Gyn, said, "This is a relatively small technology investment with the potential to become part of something much larger." He added, "Our goal is not simply to connect another computer system. We want to create sustainable ways for independent specialists, rural hospitals and community providers to work together so women can receive more care closer to home while maintaining access to specialty services when needed." The Alabama Rural Health Transformation Program is part of a broader effort to strengthen rural healthcare delivery through new models of care, workforce initiatives, technology, and collaboration. Birmingham Obstetrics & Gynecology, P.C. is an independent women's healthcare practice providing comprehensive care to women from Birmingham and communities throughout Alabama. For more information, visit https://www.birminghamobgyn.com.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Birmingham OB/Gyn Wins $17,500 to Boost Rural Maternity Care
