ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a review of policies aimed at managing public services in shrinking cities and towns. It discusses the regional background to the study and focuses on socioeconomic aspects of the area, characterized by Russian experts as being economically semi-depressed. The chapter addresses key stages of reforms to maternity care in Russia in general and outlines some salient features of the organization and provision of healthcare services. It provides research methodology, which employs a qualitative case study involving semi-structured, in-depth interviews with residents and with professionals working in medical facilities in the region. The chapter presents the results of the study focusing on five dimensions of healthcare services shrinkage in shrinking towns, elaborated through analysis of the empirical data. The conclusions seek to provide an overview of the issues at hand.
