U of M, CentraCare Launch Rural Obstetrics Fellowship for Family Doctors

(KNSI) — The University of Minnesota Medical School and CentraCare are starting a one-year fellowship for family medicine physicians who want to provide obstetric care in rural areas.

Some Minnesota communities have lost or scaled back local obstetric services. University of Minnesota research shows 29 hospitals in the state stopped providing obstetric care between 2010 and 2024. Only 56% of Minnesota hospitals now have labor and delivery units.

Two fellows will be selected each year. They will complete rotations at CentraCare clinics and hospitals in central Minnesota, where much of the population is rural. They will train alongside OB/GYN and family medicine practitioners, and the program includes surgical obstetrics, neonatal resuscitation, and perinatal mental health.

Program director Dr. Christine Goudge says the state needs more physicians who can provide pregnancy, maternity, and postpartum care in its smallest communities. She says the fellowship will not solve the problem on its own. “It may not be the entire solution, but it’s an important part of addressing Minnesota’s maternity care needs,” Goudge says.

Dr. Keri Bergeson, director of rural programs in the U of M Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, says the program is a joint effort between the university and CentraCare to address the need for obstetric care in rural communities.

The first fellows begin training in July 2027.

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