At Madison Regional Health System, a simple jar of beads tells the story of hundreds of families. Inside the labor and delivery unit, blue beads mark the birth of baby boys and pink beads celebrate baby girls. Over the past decade, nearly 500 beads have been added — each one representing a child born close to home in Madison.

Now, as Madison Regional marks one year using the Epic electronic health record system and MyChart patient portal, hospital leaders say the investment reflects a broader commitment to keeping rural health care services, including labor and delivery, available in the community.

In the past year alone, approximately 50 babies have been born at Madison Regional.

 Madison Regional Health System CEO Teresa Mallett, says that investing in Epic was a statement of intent. Adding that they intend to be in Madison for the next generation of families in the community. 

That commitment comes at a time when rural obstetric care is disappearing across much of the country. According to national studies, one in four rural hospitals has closed its obstetrics unit since 2010, and more than half of rural hospitals no longer offer obstetric services. Hospital leaders say those closures often force expectant mothers to travel much farther for care, increasing risks for complications and premature births.

Madison Regional has chosen a different approach.

Doctors and nurses say the Epic system is helping improve care by giving providers immediate access to patient histories, prior pregnancies, medications, and records from other health systems.

Hospital officials say keeping labor and delivery services open in a rural community requires careful planning, including hiring family medicine physicians trained in obstetrics, cross-training nurses, and continuing to invest in equipment and technology.

And with every new birth, another blue or pink bead is added to the display — a reminder that rural health care, and the families it serves, continue to grow in Madison.