Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: These resources for clinicians involved in the care of pregnant and postpartum women include position papers, algorithms, toolkits, guidelines for treatment, screening tools, research on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, professional organizations, training and continuing education, books, and other resources. Information and peer support for pregnant and new moms with postpartum depression and other mental illnesses related to pregnancy and childbirth are also available from the website.

Contact: Postpartum Progress, E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.postpartumprogress.com Available from the website.

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Keywords: Childbirth, Mental disorders, Mental health, Perinatal bereavement, Perinatal health, Perinatal influences, Postpartum care, Postpartum depression, Postpartum women, Pregnancy, Pregnant women, Puerperal disorders, Resources for professionals, Women', s health

Annotation: This guide provides information for a pregnant woman’s family about opioid misuse and treatment during pregnancy. The guide explains what an opioid use disorder is and discusses the importance of comprehensive prenatal care and treatment for pregnant women with the disorder, delivery, newborn health, breastfeeding, social supports, and what to expect in the weeks and months after delivery.

Contact: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 352 Park Avenue South, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010, Telephone: (855) 378-4373 Secondary Telephone: (212) 922-1560 Fax: (212) 922-1570 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.drugfree.org/ Available from the website.

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Keywords: Consumer education materials, Infant health, Narcotics, Perinatal addiction, Pregnant women, Substance abuse treatment

Annotation: This website provides information about the Healthy Start program, administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), that works to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy in high-risk communities. The program focuses on enhancing mothers' health, preventing infant death, and eliminating health disparities through comprehensive, personalized care. The website offers several key resources, including a downloadable Healthy Start Fact Sheet providing program overview, links to evaluation reports showing program effectiveness, information about the Healthy Start EPIC Center for training and technical assistance, and access to the CAREWare database system for data management. Visitors can also find a program locator tool to find local Healthy Start sites, details about grant awards from 2019-2024 (including specific community-based doula initiatives), and contact information for additional questions. The site highlights program accomplishments, showing that Healthy Start participants receive early prenatal care, well-woman visits, and depression/interpersonal violence screenings at higher rates than national averages. The website also explains the structure of the Community Consortium approach and describes the Alumni Peer Navigator initiative that employs former program participants to help current families access needed services.

Contact: U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, Telephone: (301) 443-2170 Web Site: https://mchb.hrsa.gov

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Keywords: Health care disparities, Health promotion, Healthy Start, Infant health services, Infant mortality, Maternal health services, Perinatal care, Prevention

Annotation: This report presents a roadmap of California's Birthing Care Pathway initiative launched by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to address maternal health disparities and improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members. It describes the current state of maternal health in California, highlighting concerning trends in pregnancy-related mortality and severe maternal morbidity with significant racial disparities affecting Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander individuals. The document outlines DHCS' strategic approach to improve maternal health through policy solutions developed with input from diverse stakeholders, including Medi-Cal members. Key components include strengthening provider access, enhancing clinical care coordination, providing whole-person care, and modernizing maternity care payment systems. The report details recent Medi-Cal policy enhancements for perinatal care and describes California's participation in the federal Transforming Maternal Health Model to further strengthen delivery systems in selected Central Valley counties.

Contact: California Department of Health Care Services, P.O. Box 997413, MS 4400, Sacramento,, CA 95899-7413 , Fax: E-mail: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/contact_us.aspx Web Site: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/

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Keywords: California, Health care disparities, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Model programs, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Trends

Annotation: This report presents findings on the state of women's and family health benefits in the workplace based on two surveys conducted in October-November 2024. It addresses challenges facing employees and employers, including rising healthcare costs, burnout among working parents, and increased anxiety around reproductive health. The report highlights how companies are responding through expanded benefits, with 69% planning to increase family health benefits vendors in the coming years. It discusses the benefits of offering comprehensive women's and family health support, including improved employee retention and reduced healthcare costs. The report includes specific statistics on employer and employee priorities, testimonials from benefits leaders, and guidance for designing effective family benefits programs. Sections cover topics such as fertility support, parenting challenges, men's reproductive health, and the role of digital health solutions in improving outcomes.

Contact: Maven Clinic , , New York, NY 10013, E-mail: https://www.mavenclinic.com/contact Web Site: https://www.mavenclinic.com/

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Keywords: Employer health costs, Family support services, Health Benefits Plans, Employee, Insurance benefits, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Reproductive health services, Statistics, Surveys, Trends, Women', Workplace health promotion, s health

Annotation: This issue brief analyzes state Medicaid coverage of evidence-based perinatal services that can improve maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly during the postpartum period. The document examines coverage across four categories of services including alternative models of care delivery, whole-person wraparound care, mental and behavioral health support, and lactation support beyond the hospital. It finds wide variation in Medicaid coverage of these evidence-based perinatal services across states, with only 11 states requiring and reimbursing maternal depression screening during well-child visits and significant differences between Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states. The analysis emphasizes that despite growing recognition of postpartum care importance, state variation in Medicaid coverage likely influences maternal health outcomes and worsens place-based disparities.

Contact: Health Research and Policy Center, American Institutes for Research , 1400 Crystal Drive, 10th Floor, Arlington, VA 22202-3289,

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Keywords: Evidence based medicine, Health policy, Medicaid, Perinatal care, Postartum care, Reimbursement, State MCH programs, Statistics

Annotation: These perinatal clinical care guidelines for the general population include guidelines for the first prenatal visit (6–12 weeks) and each subsequent prenatal visit (13–42 weeks). Topics include initial and interval history; psychosocial assessment; physical examinations; immunizations; laboratory evaluation and additional testing; oral health; genetic counseling, screening, and testing; general counseling, education, and discussion; and the postpartum visit.

Contact: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, 1380 Soldiers Field Road, Floor 3, Brighton, MA 02135, Telephone: (617) 600-4621 Fax: (617) 393-3433 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.mhqp.org Available from the website.

• 2024 Guidelines
• License Required To Access This Material

Keywords: Guidelines, Perinatal health, Perinatal services, Postpartum care, Pregnant women, Prenatal care, Preventive health services

Annotation: This website explains how Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs) work to improve the quality of healthcare for mothers and babies. PCQs are networks of perinatal health care providers that include hospitals, clinicians, and public health professionals working to improve pregnancy outcomes through quality improvement initiatives and use of best available evidence-based strategies. The site includes a video introduction to PQCs; a webinar series; a guide to help states developed PQCs, success stories, journal articles, and links to additional resources.

Contact: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027, Telephone: (800) 232-4636 Secondary Telephone: (888) 232-6348 E-mail: https://www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/forms/contact-us.html Web Site: http://www.cdc.gov

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Keywords: Collaboration, Infant health, Maternal health, Model programs, Perinatal care, Perinatal services, Quality assurance, Regional programs, State initiatives

Annotation: This article from Health Affairs Forefront examines lessons learned from California's experience with perinatal community health workers (CHWs) and provides recommendations for policy makers designing similar programs. It discusses how perinatal CHWs can help address disparities in maternal health outcomes by providing culturally appropriate support throughout pregnancy and postpartum periods. The authors, drawing from 15 years of experience in California's Medicaid system, outline key considerations including adequate reimbursement rates, payment flexibility for services provided in both clinical and community settings, program coordination to prevent inefficiencies, standardized data collection methods, and support systems to prevent CHW burnout. The document includes specific examples from programs at San Francisco General Hospital and Los Angeles County, and discusses implications for state Medicaid programs participating in CMS's new Transforming Maternal Health Model.

Contact: Health Affairs, 1220 19th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036, E-mail: [email protected]

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Keywords: Barriers, California, Community health workers, Maternal health, Models, Payment, Perinatal care, Policy development, Postpartum care, Reimbursement, State programs

Annotation: This report outlines findings and recommendations from a survey assessing equity practices within Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs). It presents survey results from the Maternal Child Health Systems Assessment Tool (MSAT), which evaluated how PQC leadership perceives and experiences equity within their work environments. The document examines key findings in demographics, attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, perceptions, characteristics, and experiences of PQC staff, revealing that while most PQCs operate within an ally-designed system, they face challenges in leadership diversity and implementing equity-based approaches. It provides seven major recommendations for improving health equity in PQCs, including increasing leadership diversity, moving beyond basic DEI training to action planning, enhancing community engagement, securing leadership buy-in, strengthening organizational culture, addressing socio-political barriers, and ensuring sustainable funding support. The report includes specific implementation strategies for each recommendation and incorporates visual aids such as a community engagement spectrum diagram and a table of authentic community engagement practices.

Contact: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Web Site: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

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Keywords: Collaboration, Cultural diversity, Health equity, Perinatal health, Quality assurance, Surveys, Work force

Annotation: In this podcast episode, host Christie Allen sits down with Dr. Andrea Greiner, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the University of Iowa, to discuss the unique challenges of rural maternity care. Dr. Greiner shares her experiences working at a perinatal regional center, offering insight into how larger facilities can support rural hospitals and providers. Together, they explore the importance of individualized care, the complexities of coordinating care across diverse healthcare settings, and the logistical hurdles rural patients face. The episode is part of the AIM for Safer Birth series of podcasts that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

Contact: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, 409 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024, E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: https://saferbirth.org/

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Keywords: Access to health care, Barriers, Coordination, Maternal health, Perinatal health, Regional factors, Regional medical centers, Rural health

Annotation: in this podcast episode, host Christie Allen talks with Audra Summers and Ashley Rainey about Indiana's innovative use of the AIM Patient Safety Bundles to drive sustainable change in maternal care. Audra and Ashley share their experiences implementing and maintaining quality improvements across Indiana's 75 delivery facilities. They discuss the importance of collaboration, the integration of safety measures into daily practices, and how sustainability is achieved through data-driven methods and cultural shifts. Listeners will learn how Indiana's approach to quality improvement can inspire and inform efforts nationwide. The episode is part of the AIM for Safer Birth series of podcasts that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

Contact: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, 409 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20024, E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: https://saferbirth.org/

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Keywords: Indiana, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Resources for professionals, Safety, State initiatives

Annotation: This report examines the critical impact of mental health and substance use disorders on maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States, highlighting how suicide and substance use-related overdoses account for over 20 percent of postpartum deaths. It presents promising approaches from states including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, New Hampshire, and California that integrate maternity care with behavioral health services and social supports. The report outlines six key recommendations for improving care: supporting dedicated multidisciplinary care teams, centering people with lived experience to drive health equity, normalizing substance use care, training all staff on bias and stigma, expanding the community-based workforce including doulas and peer recovery specialists, and implementing harm reduction and street medicine approaches. The authors emphasize that with nearly every state now providing 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage, there are unprecedented opportunities to implement integrated, trauma-informed, non-punitive care models that can significantly reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for families.

Contact: Center for Health Care Strategies, 300 American Metro Boulevard, Suite 125, Hamilton, NJ 08619, Telephone: (609) 528-8400 Fax: (609) 586-3679 Web Site: http://www.chcs.org

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Keywords: Substance abusing pregnant women, Community participation, Disorders, Health care reform, Initiatives, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Medicaid, Mental health, Model programs, Perinatal addiction, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, Risk factors, Service integration, Substance use disorders

Annotation: This issue brief discusses the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months following birth, which states have been able to implement since April 2022. It examines how this extension supports improved access to perinatal and postpartum care but requires complementary state actions to be fully effective. The brief highlights key challenges in postpartum care, including care fragmentation, workforce shortages, and barriers to implementation at system, community, and individual levels. It outlines four solution areas: developing comprehensive standards of care, expanding dyadic care models, increasing workforce support, and providing education and technical assistance. The document concludes with specific recommendations for funders to support implementation efforts at local, state, and national levels to improve maternal health outcomes and advance health equity.

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Keywords: Financing, Health care reform, Initiatives, Maternal health, Medicaid, Model programs, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Resources for professionals, patient education materials

Annotation: This action brief discusses the importance of prioritizing respectful maternity care, calling attention to the need to support dignity, autonomy, and companionship in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care. The brief highlights five anti-discriminatory action steps highlighted in the White House blueprint for addressing the maternal crisis and links to a wide variety of programs and resources aimed at improving maternal health outcomes. Statistical data related to maternal maltreatment and a description of factors affecting progress are included

Contact: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Web Site: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

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Keywords: , Barriers, Federal programs, Health care disparities, Health equity, Initiatives, Maternal health, Models, Perinatal care, Quality improvement, Racial discrimination

Annotation: This website provides tools for framing and understanding racial and ethnic health disparities; conversation starters and hidden bias tests; free online trainings; information databases; reports on health disparities in North Carolina; and examples of promising interventions aimed at closing the gap in health disparities.

Contact: University of North Carolina , Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health , Room 216 MacNider, Campus Box 7181, Charep Hill, NC 27599-7181, Web Site: https://www.mombaby.org/

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Keywords: Ethnic factors, Health care disparities, Health equity, Infant mortality, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Racial factors

Annotation: This toolkit provides actionable information, algorithms, and clinical guidance to support detection, assessment, and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Included is a summary of perinatal mental health conditions; patient screening and treatment guidance; a how-to guide on integrating mental health care into obstetric practice; and educational resources for providers, patients, and families. The toolkit was developed by the UMass Chan Medical School and reviewed by members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Maternal Mental Health Expert Work Group.

Contact: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 409 12th Street S.W. DC 20024-2188 (street address), P.O. Box 96920, Washington, DC 20024-9998, Telephone: (202) 638-5577 Secondary Telephone: (800) 673-8444 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.acog.org

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Keywords: Mental health, Obstetrical care, Perinatal care, Service integration

Annotation: [This issue brief explains how expanding the role of midwives in the U.S. health care system could reduce perinatal health disparities and help address provider workforce shortages. It provides an overview of the midwifery model of care and describes how the integration of midwifery as a standard feature of maternity care varies dramatically across states. It also examines racial/ethnic disparities in midwifery access and use and examines barriers, including inequitable Medicaid reimbursement rates, that limit broad access to midwifery care.

Contact: Commonwealth Fund, One East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021, Telephone: (212) 606-3800 Fax: (212) 606-3500 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.commonwealthfund.org

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Keywords: Access to health, Barriers, Midwives, Perinatal care, Trends, Work force

Annotation: This brief highlights goal 1 of the White House blueprint for addressing the maternal health crisis, which is to increase access to and coverage of comprehensive high-quality maternal health services, including behavioral health services. The brief outlines the need to strengthen risk-appropriate care in rural and urban areas; improve quality of care provided to pregnant and postpartum women with or at risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; expand capacity to screen, assess, treat, and refer for maternal depression and related behavioral disorders; and Integrate behavioral health supports in community settings. Evidence-informed strategies for improvement, criteria for states to consider when developing strategies, and additional resources are included. Statistics on the percentage of women ages 15-49 with health insurance (by source of coverage); percent of Medicaid coverage by race/ethnicity; and births covered by Medicaid are also provided.

Contact: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Web Site: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

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Keywords: Access to care, Barriers, Health insurance, Initiatives, Maternal health, Medicaid, Mental health services, Perinatal care, Service integration

Annotation: This action brief describes the need to expand and diversify the perinatal workforce to meet the nation's health care needs. Compounding the limited access to maternal health care professionals, the brief highlights the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the workforce and recommends increasing the number of nurses, health aids, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, and community health workers to help bridge the gap. Statistics on maternity care desserts and employment of obstetricians and gynecologists by state are included The brief also describes the numerous factors that influence the lack of maternal health care practitioners in the U.S. and includes a list of innovative projects and programs aimed at addressing the issue.

Contact: Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Web Site: https://maternalhealthlearning.org/

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Keywords: Access to care, Barriers, Healtah equity, Initiatives, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Statistics, Work force