St. Charles Medical Center–Madras is among 21 hospitals across 17 rural Oregon counties selected to receive maternity care funding through a state program aimed at shoring up obstetric services in communities where access to care remains limited, according to an announcement from state health officials last week.
The funding is part of a broader Oregon effort to address maternal health disparities in rural areas, where hospital closures and provider shortages have left many communities without reliable local access to obstetric services. Rural women in Oregon disproportionately face longer travel distances for prenatal care, higher rates of high-risk deliveries outside hospital settings, and greater barriers to postpartum follow-up care.
Why This Matters for Jefferson County
Jefferson County has long grappled with healthcare access challenges common to rural Oregon. St. Charles Medical Center–Madras is the county’s primary hospital and serves not only Madras city residents but communities throughout Jefferson County — including Warm Springs, Culver, Metolius, Crooked River Ranch, and outlying areas like Ashwood and Shaniko. For pregnant patients in these communities, the Madras hospital is often the closest facility offering maternity services.
Access to local maternity care is also closely tied to the health outcomes of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, whose members have historically faced significant disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Strengthening services at the nearest hospital is one step toward narrowing those gaps.
The Full List of Recipients
The 21 Oregon hospitals receiving maternity care funding span the state’s most rural regions, from the Oregon Coast to Eastern Oregon and Central Oregon. They include Adventist Health facilities in Hood River and Tillamook, Grande Ronde Hospital, Harney District Hospital, Wallowa Memorial Hospital, and St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, among others. St. Charles Medical Center–Madras joins the list as one of the Central Oregon recipients.
A Step Toward Stability
Rural hospital maternity units have been under financial pressure nationally as declining birth rates and high fixed costs have pushed many small hospitals to reduce or eliminate obstetric services entirely. Oregon has lost several rural maternity units in recent years, and this funding program represents a state-level effort to prevent further attrition before it reaches communities like Madras.
Details on the specific amount each hospital will receive and how the funds may be used had not been fully released as of publication. St. Charles Health System, which operates the Madras facility, has not yet publicly commented on the award. Jefferson County residents with questions about maternity services at St. Charles Madras can contact the hospital directly at (541) 475-3882.