Answering the call: Creighton physicians bring OB care to rural communities
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Across the United States, thousands of expectant mothers face a troubling reality: limited or no access to obstetric care. According to a 2024 March of Dimes report, 35% of U.S. counties are classified as maternity care deserts, with more than half lacking a hospital that offers obstetric services. For families in rural communities, the nearest provider may be hours away—if one is available at all.
Two current Creighton fellows, Chelsea Rambo, MD, and Patricia Belle, MD, are stepping in to help close that gap. As participants in Creighton’s Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship, they’ve spent the past year training to care for patients during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum—particularly in underserved areas where the need is great and resources are few.
Rambo’s journey into medicine began as a registered dietitian. During her clinical rotation at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, she witnessed the lasting effects of poverty and provider shortages.
“My patients struggled to afford medications, utilities and even safe housing,” she said. “That experience shaped my decision to pursue not only medicine, but rural medicine.”
Later, while training in family medicine, she discovered a passion for obstetrics. “Delivering babies is the closest thing to magic on earth,” she said. “It’s emotional, inspiring and, at times, heart-wrenching. Being there for families during those moments is an incredible privilege.”
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Belle’s path is rooted in resilience and purpose. She and her family came to the United States as refugees from South Sudan when she was a young child. During her residency in Cleveland, she cared for underserved women and families, an experience that solidified her desire to provide both primary and obstetric care.
“I want to serve in communities with limited access to care,” she said. “There’s a critical care gap in rural areas, and I want to be part of the solution.”
At Creighton, both fellows found the preparation and support they needed to meet that challenge. The Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship—established in 2015—offers advanced clinical and surgical training, including high-risk obstetrics, cesarean delivery and emergency response. Fellows learn to manage complex situations in real time, often acting as the primary physician or surgeon.
We’re learning how to manage the unpredictable—and do so with confidence.
— Chelsea Rambo, MD
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“We’re learning how to manage the unpredictable—and do so with confidence,” Rambo said. “That kind of readiness doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from hands-on experience, supportive faculty and a program that really believes in its mission.”
Creighton’s Jesuit values—especially compassion, justice and care for the whole person—are also central to how they approach their work.
“This fellowship reminded me of the importance of empathy and presence,” Belle said. “It’s not just about delivering care. It’s about walking with people through some of their most vulnerable and joyful moments.”
When they complete their fellowships this summer, Rambo and Belle will bring their experience and commitment to the communities they’ve long hoped to serve. Rambo will join Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown, a critical access hospital in a region with limited maternity care. Belle will practice at Gibson Area Hospital in a rural area of central Illinois.
Together, they represent not only a response to a national crisis but a reflection of what’s possible when skill meets service—and when education is rooted in mission.
There’s a critical care gap in rural areas, and I want to be part of the solution.
— Patricia Belle, MD
