Search Results: MCHLine

Annotation: This brief presents initial findings from interviews with providers and mothers with Medicaid in Texas about the implementation of the state's Medicaid 12-month postpartum extension. Interviewees identified significant implementation challenges, including lack of awareness, confusion about which providers should serve postpartum women, and administrative hurdles. The document also highlights the need for more mental health supports for new mothers and additional Medicaid benefits and providers, particularly in rural areas. It offers policy recommendations to increase awareness of the postpartum benefit, support mental health through community programs, and improve access to services and providers in the Medicaid network.

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Keywords: Healthcare reform, Interviews, Medicaid, Postpartum care, Quality improvement, State initiatives, Texas

Annotation: This resource page from the Texas state government focuses on maternal behavioral health for pregnant and postpartum mothers, addressing the fact that mental health conditions (including depressive disorder and substance use disorder (SUD)) were the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the state. The site provides resources for maternal depression, listing available services and urgent maternal warning signs that require immediate medical attention, such as thoughts about hurting oneself or the baby. Furthermore, the page details multiple state programs designed to support pregnant and parenting Texas residents with SUD, including the Pregnant and Parenting Intervention programs (which offer case management and evidence-based education), the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model (a comprehensive care model available in the Houston area), and the Comprehensive Continuum of Care for Women, which provides support like transportation and financial assistance to reduce treatment barriers

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Keywords: Behavioral medicine, Depression, Mental health, Postpartum care, Postpartum depression, Prental care, State programs, Substance use disorder, Texas

Annotation: This online resource from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) provides support and information for pregnant women, new parents, and caregivers in Texas. The website includes sections covering pregnancy resources, parenting resources (which links to the Texas Home Visiting program), and information about COVID-19 and pregnancy vaccination safety. The resource describes legislative requirements for providers to give new parents and caregivers a pamphlet, available in English and Spanish, covering topics like postpartum depression, shaken baby syndrome, immunizations, and newborn screening. The site includes depression resources listing urgent assistance lines such as 2-1-1 Texas and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and provides contact information for professional organizations and counseling services across various Texas counties.

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Keywords: Infant care, MCH services, Patient education, Postpartum care, Prenatal care, Texas

Annotation: This fact sheet provides information on oral health among children and adolescents ages 1–17 in Texas in 2020–2021. The information is based on results of the 2021–2022 National Survey of Children's Health. Topics include the likelihood of children from high-income vs. lower-income households having excellent or very good teeth; the likelihood of Hispanic children vs. non-Hispanic children having excellent or very good teeth, differences in having had one or more preventive oral health visit, by age; and the overall condition of children's and adolescents' teeth, as reported by parents.

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Keywords: Adolescent health, Age factors, Child health, Data, Dental caries, Health care utilization, Hispanic Americans, Income factors, Oral health, Prevention, State information, Surveys, Texas

Annotation: This fact sheet for consumers provides information about oral health among pregnant women in Texas. Data presented is from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The fact sheet explains why taking care of teeth and gums during pregnancy is safe and important. It also provides the percentage of pregnant women in the state who did not visit a dentist during pregnancy because they did not think it was safe to do so; the percentage who had a dental cleaning during pregnancy; and the likelihood of receiving a dental cleaning for white, black and Hispanic pregnant women. The fact sheet is written in simple language.

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Keywords: Consumer education materials, Data, Health care utilization, Oral health, Pregnant women, Racial factors, Safety, State information, Texas

Annotation: In this podcast episode, host Christie Allen talks with Dr. Carey Eppes and her colleague, CheyAnne Harris to explore Texas's experience with implementing the Maternal Early Warning Signs (MEWS) in maternal health care. Dr. Eppes shares her background and journey into the world of maternal health, detailing the personal motivations that drive her passion for this work. She and CheyAnne delve into the reasons behind adopting MEWS, how it was implemented, and the challenges faced along the way. This episode highlights the key levers that facilitate successful implementation for healthcare providers looking to adopt MEWS in their own practice. The podcast is part of the AIM for Safer Birth series that dives deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

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Keywords: History, History, Maternal health, Prevention programs, State initiatives, Texas

Annotation: This report highlights findings from the Improving Postpartum Care Affinity Group, a quality improvement initiative convened by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from April 2021 to April 2023. Nine states participated in the affinity group to develop and test interventions addressing the high rates of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States, with nearly two-thirds of maternal deaths occurring during the postpartum period. The report describes how state teams used data-driven approaches to identify disparities and quality improvement opportunities, select measures to monitor their projects, and evaluate intervention impacts. It presents four main categories of interventions tested by participating states: targeted case management services for high-risk beneficiaries, postpartum cardiac care including blood pressure monitoring and cardiomyopathy protocols, support from doulas and community health workers with home visiting programs, and beneficiary and provider education and support tools. The document includes specific examples from states such as South Carolina's pilot addressing gaps in behavioral health screening, Georgia's work to improve provider use of postpartum visit codes, and Texas's blood pressure cuff distribution program for hypertensive beneficiaries.

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Keywords: Data analysis, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Missouri, Models, Oklahoma, Postpartum care, Prevention, Quality improvement, South Carolina, State initiatives, Texas, Wyoming

Annotation: This blog post details policy and programmatic strategies states are implementing to strengthen the perinatal health care system, improve maternal health outcomes, and address disparities, particularly noting that Black women are 2.6 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Based on an analysis of states’ strategic plans, the key priorities for supporting pregnant and postpartum women include (1) ensuring access to timely and high-quality care, citing examples such as Iowa’s Obstetrics Mobile Simulation Training Program and North Carolina’s Region IV Provider Support Network; (2) developing and sustaining the perinatal workforce, citing examples such as Illinois DocAssist, a free statewide psychiatric access program, and New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center; and (3) supporting high-quality care coordination, citing examples such as California’s Enhanced Care Management Birth Equity Population of Focus under CalAIM and Texas’s High-Risk Maternal Care Coordination Services Program.

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Keywords: Access to care, Blacks, California, Healthcare disparities, Illinois, Iowa, Maternal health, New Jersey, North Carolina, Perinatal care, Policy, State initiatives, Strategic plans, Texas

Annotation: This report describes Improving Care Coordination and Health Outcomes for Diabetic Patients Through Medical and Dental Integration, a program run by CommUnityCare (CUC). The program’s purpose is to increase access to oral health care and general health care for people with diabetes to help improve chronic disease outcomes. It discusses how the program started, what happens during a patient visit, what CUC learned while launching the program, and plans for the future. Data showing the increase in the percentage of patients with diabetes who received care as well as of those who had a current A1c test are included.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Chronic illnesses and disabilities, Diabetes mellitus, Oral health, Service integration, State programs, Texas

Annotation: This joint report presents key findings on cases of pregnancy-related deaths in the state of Texas, including health conditions and factors that disproportionately affect the most at-risk populations. It reports underlying causes of death and disparities in maternal deaths based on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, demographics, and other variables. Descriptions of best practices and programs aimed at reducing pregnancy-related deaths in other states are included.

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Keywords: Committees, Data Statistics, Maternal death, Maternal mortality, Models, Prevention, Research, State programs, Texas, Trends

Annotation: This plan focuses on how different factors affect health equity in Texas. The plan contains four sections that examine which population groups are more likely to have poor access to health care, including oral health care. The sections look at the challenges faced by those living in rural areas of the state, mental and behavioral health and the ability of the state’s behavioral health care workforce to address these issues, and the role that telehealth can play in addressing health disparities. Additionally, each section considers how COVID-19 has impacted health care in Texas.

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Keywords: Access to health care, Behavioral medicine, COVID-19, Disease transmission, Infectious diseases, Mental health, Oral health, Oral health equity, Rural health, State information, Strategic plans, Texas, Virus diseases

Annotation: This presentation features Joy Burkhard and Kay Matthews, founders of 2020 Mom and Shades of Blue respectively, who outline strategies for strengthening the maternal behavioral health workforce through effective recruitment, funding, training, and retention approaches. Working with multidisciplinary teams from Nevada, Missouri, and Indiana, they aim to showcase best practices, explore diverse funding sources, and highlight innovative programs addressing maternal behavioral health needs. The speakers emphasize the critical nature of this work, noting that maternal mental health remains severely underserved with one-third of Americans living in mental health professional shortage areas, while primary care and obstetrical/gynecological services face similar resource gaps.

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Keywords: Staff development, Work force, Behavioral medicine, Recruitment, Retention, Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Texas

Annotation: This document provides guidance on oral health care during pregnancy for prenatal care health professionals and oral health professionals in Texas. Topics include myths vs. facts, guidance for health professionals, oral conditions during pregnancy, and oral health pharmacological considerations for pregnant women. It also includes resources for consumers, available in English and in Spanish, about good oral health during pregnancy and during infancy as well as a dental referral form for pregnant women. The document was adapted from Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A National Consensus Statement. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

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Keywords: Oral health, Pregnant women, Resource materials, Spanish language materials, State initiatives, Texas

Annotation: This progress report provides a summary of the project activities and accomplishments of the Texas Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Quality Improvement project during the 1-year project period ending in 2019. The report describes the purpose of the project and information about project progress (including accomplishments), significant changes during the project period, and project evaluation. The project’s impact is also discussed. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Infant health, Oral health, Pregnant women, State programs, Texas

Annotation: This brief provides information based on results from the 2018–2019 Basic Screening Survey of children in kindergarten in Texas, conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Service, Oral Health Program to collect oral health data in a way that is consistent with national standards. The report describes survey methods and presents results on oral health indicators (tooth decay, untreated decay, and dental visits during the past year), 2012–2018; presents a comparison of Texas survey results to national targets for 2020; and indicates whether targets were met. Overall findings are included.

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Keywords: Data, Dental caries, Health care utilization, Kindergarten, Oral health, School age children, State information, Surveys, Texas

Annotation: This video provides information about the Healthy Texas Smiles for Moms and Babies project. The project trains home visitors on how to help pregnant women understand the importance of taking care of their oral health. The project also trains home visitors on how to teach mothers to take care of their infant’s mouth after birth. The video shows home visitors in various settings interacting with pregnant women and their families and providing them with oral health education in their homes. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

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Keywords: Home visits, Infant health, MCH training, Oral health, Pregnant women, State programs, Texas, Videotapes

Annotation: This brief provides information based on results from the 2017–2018 Basic Screening Survey of children in third grade in Texas, conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Service, Oral Health Program to collect oral health data in a way that is consistent with national standards. The report describes survey methods and presents information on oral health indicators (tooth decay, untreated decay, and dental sealants), 2012–2018; presents a comparison of Texas survey results to national targets for 2020; and indicates whether targets were met. Overall findings are included.

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Keywords: Data, Dental caries, Dental sealants, Health care utilization, Oral health, School age children, State information, Surveys, Texas

Annotation: These posters were presented at the 2018 annual SPHARC (State Public Health Autism Resource Center) Peer-to-Peer Exchange. 9 states discuss issues in telehealth, including their strengths, challenges, and strategies in their efforts to supply telehealth to their constituents. Each state panel is also given the opportunity to express an interesting fact about their state and what they hope to gain during this meeting.

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Keywords: Autism, Title V programs, CSHCN programs, Wisconsin, Washington, Virginia, Texas, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Iowa, Delaware, Children's health

Annotation: This report discusses the role of Medicaid managed care in serving children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), highlighting the fact that over 40 states now enroll at least some CYSHCN in managed care plans as they seek to control costs and improve care quality. The document examines how four states (Texas, Virginia, Michigan, and Maryland) use specific contract language and management strategies to ensure managed care organizations (MCOs) effectively serve CYSHCN populations. Also discussed are key provisions around identification/assessment, access to care, medical homes, care coordination, and quality assurance, with detailed examples from each state's contracts. The document emphasizes that both strong contract language and active contract management are essential for ensuring MCOs meet the unique needs of CYSHCN, who comprise about 15% of U.S. children and require more frequent provider access, increased hospitalizations, and multiple medications compared to typical children.

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Keywords: Title V programs, CHSCN programs, Medical home, Medicaid, Managed care, Children's Health, Regulations, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, Michigan

Annotation: This infographic discusses the lessons learned from the 2018 SPHARC Peer-to-Peer Exchange on using telehealth to connect children and their families, self-advocates, and providers for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Disabilities (DD). Discussion points include the advantages of and barriers to telehealth, as well as the need for early and continuous intervention services. Lessons emphasize the importance of meaningful inclusion of self-advocates, addressing the unique challenges of family advocates, and showcasing innovative state grantee solutions. The document concludes with priority action items for states and the need to explore culturally competent care solutions to address the needs of diverse communities.

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Keywords: Autism, Telemedicine, Family support services, Delaware, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas, Virginia