HRSA invests almost $90M to improve nation’s maternal health care

Key takeaways:

• The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $24 million to expand access to maternal health care.
• The second highest investment was $11 million, which went toward reducing disparities in care.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $88 million to improve maternal health across the country, according to a press release.

The awards, announced Sept. 27, support the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis — “a whole-of-government strategy” working to improve infant and maternal health and combat maternal mortality, “particularly in underserved communities.”

According to the release, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. has remained “among the highest of any developed nation” for decades, and studies continue to show a significant rise in maternal deaths in the country.

Carole Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), said in the release that the organization is “laser-focused on reversing this crisis by expanding access to maternal care, growing the maternal care workforce, supporting moms experiencing maternal depression and addressing the important social supports that are vital to safe pregnancies.”

“We know it will take a sustained approach to reduce and eliminate maternal health disparities and we are committed to this work,” she said in the release.

The biggest chunk of the investment was $24 million that will go to 20 states to help expand maternal health care access. More specifically, the money will “establish maternal health task forces with a focus on innovation and implementing strategies to improve maternal health service delivery, such as sending mobile health units to areas with fewer maternal health providers and ensuring more hospitals have equipment and safety protocols in place to save lives during delivery.”

To complete the nearly $90 million investment, HRSA is also investing:

• $11 million to support communities that face the highest maternal death rates;
• $10 million to research maternal health;
• $9 million to increase treatment and screening for maternal mental health and substance use disorders;
• $8 million to better access to integrated maternal health services;
• $8 million to increase the maternity nursing workforce;
• $6 million to support families with redeterminations of Medicaid eligibility;
• $5.5 million to improve birthing facilities’ capacity to reduce maternal death and severe illness;
• $4.5 million to grow the home visiting workforce; and
• $2 million to improve maternal health in Mississippi and New Hampshire, “two highly rural states.”