A recent article in an Idaho publication highlighted how one Care Net-affiliated pregnancy center is responding to a growing challenge facing communities across the country: the loss of local maternity care.
As hospitals close labor and delivery units and fewer obstetric providers remain in rural areas, 7B Care Clinic in Sandpoint, Idaho, is responding by expanding support for women and families facing pregnancy decisions while helping connect them with the resources they need.
7B Care Clinic is one of over 1,200 affiliates in Care Net’s network of pregnancy centers. Across the country, these centers help meet critical needs by providing medical services, education and practical assistance to women and families. Care Net’s Helping Communities Flourish: 2025 Center Service Report found that the network provided more than $143.5 million in free health and support services during the previous calendar year.
According to EastIdahoNews.com, 7B Care Clinic has experienced increased demand since Sandpoint’s hospital closed its labor and delivery unit and the community’s OB-GYNs left the state three years ago. The loss of those services created a significant gap in maternity care for residents of Sandpoint and the surrounding rural communities.
“We are seeing a lot more people,” said 7B Executive Director Janine Shepard.
The challenges facing women in Sandpoint reflect a broader trend across Idaho. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that the state experienced a 35% net decline in physicians practicing obstetrics between August 2022 and December 2024, as Idaho adopted some of the nation’s strongest pro-life protections following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. During that time, 114 physicians stopped providing obstetric care, left the state, retired or closed their practices. Researchers warned that the decline could further limit access to prenatal and maternity care, particularly in rural communities.
As demand continues to grow, 7B is planning for the future. EastIdahoNews.com reported that the organization intends to expand its building and is exploring a partnership with a Washington hospital that would allow an OB-GYN to provide weekly prenatal care in Sandpoint.
As 7B increases its reach, the effort has stirred renewed debate about the role pregnancy centers should play in communities facing healthcare shortages. Critics have questioned whether centers should expand their role in these areas, arguing that they do not offer the same scope of medical services as hospitals or OB-GYN practices and expressing concern that women may view them as substitutes for comprehensive maternity care.
While those concerns have fueled ongoing debate and criticism, they do not always reflect the full range of care many pregnancy centers offer.
Like many Care Net-affiliated centers, 7B provides free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, education, community referrals and practical support while working alongside licensed medical professionals and referring clients for additional care when needed.
Shepard said the pregnancy center’s goal is not to replace obstetric providers but to help meet a growing community need.
“If obstetric care existed now in Sandpoint, we wouldn’t even be considering (expanding),” Shepard said.
“But there is such a need. And our community suffers because of it.”