Our State MHI program funds entities such as public health departments and universities to improve maternal health in the United States by:
- Establishing a maternal health task force in their state
- Improving the collection and use of their state-level data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM)
- Launching new maternal health service delivery activities (e.g. improving access to services during pregnancy and the postpartum period; equipping the maternal and child health workforce with new training and resources).
The task forces:
- Drive collaboration and provide resources to public health professionals, providers, payers, and consumers
- Use their state’s most recent Title V MCH Block Grant Program’s needs assessment to conduct a baseline assessment of state maternal care and coverage
- Identify gaps from Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) reports and publications
- Assist MHI program staff to develop and implement a state-focused strategic plan
- Help State MHI program staff carry out new interventions that address critical gaps in service delivery
Through this investment, some of the ways we work to improve data include:
- Linking data sets more effectively and enhancing surveillance activities
- Expanding how data are used to inform program development and policy recommendations
- Examining additional data about other factors that can contribute to disparities (e.g. economic stability and housing, education, social and community context)
We aim to improve access to services during pregnancy and the postpartum period by carrying out new activities in a variety of areas such as:
- Direct clinical care
- Workforce training
- Maternal health data enhancements
- Community engagement
Cooperative agreements fund a total of 18 entities.
- Read the State Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) Program closed notice of funding (HRSA-19-107) for more information on this initial funding. Nine entities received about $2 million each year (see awards chart in the next section).
- Read the State Maternal Health Innovation & Data Capacity closed notice of funding (HRSA-22-149) for more information on this round of funding. Nine 9 entities received $1 million each year (see awards chart in the next section).
Note that HRSA-22-149 funding modified the earlier program by specifying that a portion of funding must be dedicated to improve the collection, reporting, and analysis of data collected through the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) investment.
FY 2019 Awardees (2019-2024)
| Grantee Organization | City |
State |
|---|---|---|
|
Health Services Department |
Phoenix |
AZ |
|
Iowa Department of Public Health |
Des Moines |
IA |
|
University of Illinois |
Chicago |
IL |
|
The John Hopkins University |
Baltimore |
MD |
|
New Jersey Department of Health |
Trenton |
NJ |
|
Ohio Department of Health |
Columbus |
OH |
|
Oklahoma State Health Department |
Oklahoma City |
OK |
|
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services |
Helena |
MT |
|
North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services |
Raleigh |
NC |
FY 2022 Awardees (funding from 2022-2027)
| Grantee Organization | City |
State |
|---|---|---|
|
University of Alabama at Birmingham |
Birmingham |
AL |
|
University of Arkansas System |
Little Rock |
AR |
|
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment |
Denver |
CO |
|
The Medical Center Foundation, Inc. |
Gainesville |
GA |
|
Indiana State Department of Health |
Indianapolis |
IN |
|
Maine Department of Health and Human Services |
Augusta |
ME |
|
Massachusetts Department of Public Health |
Boston |
MA |
|
Department of Health Minnesota |
Saint Paul |
MN |
|
Tennessee Department of Health |
Nashville |
TN |
The State MHI program is one of many complementary investments we make to improve maternal health across the nation. Read about our approach and investments on our Maternal Health webpage.
To help the award recipients, we funded the Supporting Maternal Health Innovation Program. Through this funding, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill provides the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center. This national center develops resources & policy documents and facilitates peer learning opportunities. This center helps all the State MHI grantees optimize their efforts. The center also supports the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) program to increase access to maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities.