This summer I had the privilege of working with the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) to address the question: “How do the Barriers to Postpartum Care in Rural New York Influence the Health of Birthing People?” NYSARH serves as the bridge between advocacy and policy work, healthcare and public health officials, and rural New York communities.
The mission of the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) is to improve the health and well-being of rural New Yorkers and their communities. By functioning as “the voice of rural health,” the organization advocates for the health of rural New Yorkers at the local, state, and national levels. By building strong engagement across the rural New York community, there are many opportunities to get involved with NYSARH, including membership and partnership engagements. Many of these members experience the direct impacts of rural health and wellness in New York.
There are various initiatives that NYSARH works to tackle in rural New York. The Older Adult Rural Support (OARS) Program is an initiative that aims to reduce mental health stigma, enhance community awareness, support the mental health of rural older adults, and strengthen the mental/behavioral health workforce in rural New York. Next, the Statewide Aggregate Rural Health Needs Assessment (SARHNA) synthesizes existing data on mental health and well-being in New York’s rural counties to advance rural mental health outcomes. NYSARH published the SARHNA, a report that raises the collective voice of rural New York by exploring shared experiences across rural counties. Communities can use the SARHNA to support local, regional, and statewide planning, education, and advocacy efforts to advance rural mental health and wellbeing. Lastly, NYSARH's continuous educational opportunities play a role as coordinator and advocate, assembling hundreds of stakeholders through events like the Rural Health Symposium and Public Health Partnership Conference, while expanding access to knowledge through the Rural Health Webinar Series and policy forums. These are just a few of the measures that the New York State Association for Rural Health does for rural New York communities. If you’re interested in learning more, please follow the link to the website: .
One of the most impactful things I learned during my time at NYSARH is how prevalent the need for proper postpartum care is and how irregular and inaccessible that care is to rural New Yorkers. This is not only a barrier in New York, but it is a national issue faced by many birthing people. The United States has the highest maternal and infant mortality rate of any other high-income country, despite the amount of money spent on health care each year.
About 53% of all maternal mortalities occur during the postpartum period, and many are preventable. Limited access to postpartum care in rural areas leads to lasting health issues. Proper postpartum care is one of the first steps in perinatal care to be overlooked and neglected when, in reality, it sets the stage for long-term health and well-being of the birthing person and infant. The goal of this fellowship was to engage and identify the shortages of obstetrical units in rural New York State and where these promising strategies are being utilized. I was building on the work begun by previous fellow Vuong Hoang ‘24 on his work about poor access to obstetrical care in rural New York and some possible solutions. I decided to focus on postpartum care specifically because the weeks following childbirth are crucial for establishing the long-term health and well-being of both the birthing person and infant. One of my projects was to develop an issue brief and to outline the existing literature by taking an objective approach to the issue. I worked to understand the current analysis of data about the issue with respect to rural New York State, analyze the State or National policy available, and lastly, identified NYSARH policy positions that are relevant to the issue. To thoroughly complete this work, I set up various interviews, panel discussions, and conversations with relevant stakeholders on postpartum care. I talked to Mark Spiezio, the Chief Operating Officer at The Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad, regarding the role that Rural ambulance services can play in accessing postpartum care. I also spoke with Allison Roselle, the Deputy Public Health Director in Jefferson County as well as many other collaborators. These conversations allowed me to gain insight into the direct experience of rural health and how they believed postpartum care could be accessible to all birthing people.
The other half of my work this summer included hosting a webinar as a part of the organization’s webinar series. The webinar was titled "The ‘Fourth Trimester’: Postpartum Care in Rural New York and the Health of Birthing People.” It addressed the barriers that rural birthing people face during the postpartum period and some recommendations for the future. Preparing and presenting my research enabled me to structure complex ideas clearly, establish strong virtual communication, and handle audience questions smoothly. I will bring the skills and knowledge I learned from these projects into my future endeavors as I enter my final year at vlog and beyond.
As I look towards the future, my final task with NYSARH is to present my research at the 2026 New York State Rural Health Symposium in September. This is an opportunity for all key stakeholders interested in emerging innovations in rural health to discuss and learn about the future of rural New York State. As a dual major in educational studies and peace and conflict studies with an interest in policy and advocacy work, the research that I completed this summer represents the intersection of my ambitions to pursue a career in education policy. This fellowship taught me how to apply policy to make schools and education accessible to all. I am grateful to vlog and the Upstate Institute for allowing me to understand rural health care in New York State and how I can best apply this for my future endeavors.