By Rachael Zastrow, PhD(c), NNP-BC, CPNP-PC
We’re witnessing a slow-moving crisis in rural America. As maternity units shut their doors, entire regions are being reclassified as maternity care deserts, areas where access to obstetric services is severely limited or nonexistent.
The closures of Menomonee Falls Community Memorial (2023), Ascension Mequon (2024), and Ascension Elmbrook Memorial (2025) are not just headlines, they’re real losses for real families. These hospitals served thousands of patients across suburban and rural Wisconsin. Now, mothers face longer drives, delayed care, and greater risk during labor.
I’ve practiced in Level I, II, III and IV NICUs in these very communities. I know what it means to have a hospital capable of handling a preterm delivery 15 minutes from home. I also know what happens when that option is gone.
At The NEST Healthworks, we believe Outreach and Advocacy must rise to meet this moment. We are speaking up, standing in the gap, and ensuring that care doesn’t disappear when a hospital does.
NEST Healworks 