Dr. Jeff Chapa, Obtelecare’s National Medical Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, was recently featured in MedCity News, addressing a sobering reality: for the fourth consecutive year, the United States earned a D+ on the March of Dimes Report Card for preterm birth.
In his op-ed, “The U.S. Keeps Failing the March of Dimes Report Card. Here’s One Gap We Can Close Right Now”, Dr. Chapa outlines both the urgency of the maternal health crisis and a practical opportunity for progress.
Nearly 380,000 babies were born preterm in 2024—10.4% of all births. Stark inequities persist, with significantly higher rates of preterm birth among Black mothers and families living in maternity care deserts.
Dr. Chapa highlights a critical contributor to these disparities: limited access to maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists. With approximately 2,000 MFMs nationwide—most concentrated in metropolitan areas—many rural and underserved communities lack local subspecialty care for high-risk pregnancies.
Access matters. Specialist involvement has been associated with lower rates of preterm birth, low birthweight, and NICU admissions—particularly when high-risk patients are identified and managed early. Yet for many families, in-person MFM care requires hours of travel and significant logistical burdens.
While policy reforms such as Medicaid expansion and workforce investment remain essential, Dr. Chapa emphasizes that teleMFM offers an immediate, scalable solution. Virtual consultation enables MFMs to collaborate with local obstetric teams in real time, supporting management of complex conditions and helping deliver high-risk care closer to home.
Telehealth is not a replacement for broader systemic change, but it is one of the few tools available today that can rapidly expand access in regions where recruiting full-time specialists is unrealistic.
“For a country with our resources, accepting a D+ for the fourth year in a row is a choice,” writes Dr. Chapa. “But so is building a system where every pregnant person, regardless of zip code, ethnicity, or insurance status, can access the level of care their pregnancy demands.”
At Obtelecare, expanding access to maternal-fetal medicine expertise—so more moms and babies receive timely, risk-appropriate care—remains central to our mission.
Read Dr. Chapa’s full op-ed in MedCity News here.
