The mission of AIM is to support best practices that make birth safer, improve maternal health outcomes, and save lives.
How does this work save lives?
This national effort promotes the development and use of maternal care quality improvement bundles.
AIM “patient safety bundles” are sets of practices to improve the quality of care provided during delivery and in the postpartum period. The purpose of implementing the AIM bundles is to make births safer and reduce preventable deaths and severe maternal morbidity (SMM). SMM is the unintended outcomes of labor and delivery that result in significant short- or long-term health consequences.
Examples of practices include:
- Having all medications and equipment ready and nearby
- Assessing patients early and recognizing warning signs
- Practicing the steps to care for patients in emergencies
- Coordinating patient care with other healthcare providers
- Educating healthcare providers and patients
A different type of bundle is being created for outpatient clinical settings and community-based organizations. Through the AIM Community Care Initiative (AIM CCI), bundles address women’s physical and mental health care needs before, during, and after pregnancy.
What is the reach of this initiative?
In hospitals and birth centers:
As of June 2024, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are participating in AIM. Within those areas 2,069 birthing facilities (hospitals with labor and delivery units and freestanding birth centers) are implementing AIM patient safety bundles. This represents more than 75% of the birthing facilities in participating areas. Any birthing facility may participate in AIM through their state-based team.
In outpatient settings:
As of August 2023, there are 11 pilot sites located in:
- Lebanon, NH
- Newark, NJ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Norfolk, VA
- Kingstree, SC
- Atlanta, GA
- Stuart, FL
- New Orleans, LA
- Tulsa, OK
- Fresno, CA
How does AIM function?
We fund three AIM projects:
- AIM Technical Assistance (TA) Center: providing national expertise in the development and use of “patient safety bundles.”
- AIM Capacity: providing funding to states, jurisdictions, and territories so that they can expand AIM “patient safety bundles” to their hospitals and birth centers.
- AIM Community Care Initiative (AIM-CCI): promoting bundles for outpatient clinical settings and community-based organizations, coordinated at the national level, but carried out on the community level.
Details for each of these funded projects:
In August 2023, we awarded $3 million to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for the first year of this 4-year program.
- Read the 2023 closed notice of funding opportunity for AIM Technical Assistance Center (HRSA-23-084) for complete information on this cooperative agreement.
- Find details of this work on ACOG’s AIM website.
We fund this TA center to support all the AIM Capacity awardees to:
- Develop and share “patient safety bundles”
- Help those state-based teams to carry out the work and collect data
- Build private and public partners across the spectrum of maternity care providers, public health agencies, birthing facilities, hospital networks and associations, quality care collaboratives, community groups, and patients with lived experience. Find the:
Current Patient Safety Bundles address:
- Obstetric Hemorrhage
- Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy
- Safe Reduction of Primary Cesarean Birth
- Cardiac Conditions in Obstetric Care
- Care for Pregnant and Postpartum People with Substance Use Disorder
- Perinatal Mental Health Conditions
- Postpartum Discharge Transition
- Sepsis in Obstetrical Care
In August 2023, we awarded 28 entities up to $200,000 each for the first year of this 4-year cycle. Each awardee leads AIM efforts within their state, jurisdiction, or territory.
- Find the organizations and the awarded amounts in the awards chart.
By directly funding entities that lead AIM activities at the state level, those states manage and increase the number of hospitals and birthing facilities doing this work.
AIM Capacity helps states:
- Implement and sustain “patient safety bundles”
- Expand the reach, depth, and quality of AIM efforts
- Address the complex problem of maternal death rates
- Effectively collect and report AIM data
How much do we invest?
We invest $1.8 million to bring safe maternal care to outpatient and community-based settings.
See the 2019 Closed Notice of Funding Opportunity for AIM [HRSA-19-109] provide further details.
Who carries out this work?
Through a cooperative agreement, the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) sustains the AIM CCI work. The NHSA convenes workgroups of community-focused public health and clinical experts to guide community-level interventions.
What types of community-care bundles are there?
Community Care for Postpartum Safety and Wellness Bundle
This bundle ensures all women receive the care and support that they need to recover from birth, adjust to motherhood, and transition to well woman care.
Community Care for Maternal Mental Health & Wellness
This bundle ensures that women receive the care and support needed in responses to perinatal stress, trauma, anxiety, and depression.
Now in 2023, in year 4 of the funding cycle, the AIM Community Care Initiative (AIM CCI) is actively pilot testing two bundles: Interpersonal Violence Bundle and the Community Care for Chronic Conditions Bundles. Chronic conditions include diseases like gestational diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. They are working to expand AIM CCI to reach more communities across the country.
AIM is one investment among many we make to improve maternal health. Find all our maternal health investments on our Maternal Health Focus Area Webpage and our Mental and Behavioral Health Focus Area Webpage.