Jorge Urdaneta Aqui

International Institute for Health Care Professionals, USA

Abstract Title: Declining Birth Rates, Obstetric Unit Closures, and Rising Maternal Risk in Florida: A Public Health Crisis Requiring Midwifery Expansion An Epidemiological Trend Analysis

Biography:

Jorge Urdaneta Aqui is an OB/GYN physician with extensive experience in high-risk obstetrics, health policy, and maternal health advocacy. Trained at the Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela, he later completed a Magister in Health Administration with a concentration in Health Policy and Planning, strengthening his expertise in system-level decision-making and maternal health program development. His career includes service in rural and urban settings, leadership in High-risk pregnancy care, and academic roles training future clinicians. After relocating to the United States, he expanded his scope of practice by earning a Midwifery Certificate and becoming a Licensed Midwife in Florida

Research Interest:

Florida is confronting a growing maternal health crisis driven by declining birth rates, rising maternal mortality, and the rapid closure of obstetric units across the state. Although the United States reported a maternal mortality ratio of 17 per 100,000 live births in 2024, Florida’s burden remains higher, with ratios of 18.5 statewide, 24.8 in Broward County, and 20.3 in Miami?Dade County. The natality rate trends to decrease in Florida, like all the United States, and this sustained decline has contributed directly to the financial instability of maternity services. Since 2020, at least five South Florida hospitals, including North Shore Medical Center, Jackson West, Holy Cross Health, Hialeah Hospital, and Jackson South, have closed their labor and delivery units. With fewer births and reduced revenue, hospitals are downsizing or eliminating perinatal beds, creating large geographic gaps in maternal care. There is an existent decrease of the birth rate, and this demographic shift now forces pregnant women to travel significantly longer distances for prenatal care, labor evaluation, and delivery. These delays increase the risk of preventable complications such as hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, infection, and cardiomyopathy; conditions that already account for the majority of pregnancy?related deaths in the United States. Expanding the midwifery workforce is a critical strategy to address these gaps. Midwives can deliver high?quality, community?based prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care in regions where hospitals have reduced or eliminated obstetric services. Their integration into Florida’s maternal health system would improve access, reduce delays, and strengthen outcomes for vulnerable populations. This analysis underscores the urgent need for coordinated public health action to address declining birth rates, obstetric unit closures, and maternal mortality in Florida, while elevating midwifery as an essential component of an equitable and resilient maternal care infrastructure.