Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program - Proposal Title: AR Delta HOPE (Helping Obtain Perinatal Equity) Funding Track: Regular Track Focus Area: Maternal Health Funding preference. Our project qualifies for all three funding priorities: AR Delta HOPE will serve the entirety of Phillips County, which is an HPSA and an MUC, and it will focus on MUPs. AR Delta HOPE will provide primary care with wellness and prevention strategies. Proposed Rural Service Area: Phillips County is one of the most rural counties in the delta region of Arkansas with a total population of 16,568. We will serve the entirety of Phillips County (ZIP codes: 72328, 72333, 72390, 72342, 72353, 72355, 72367, 72374, 72383). Target population: AR Delta HOPE will focus on rural, and racially/ethnically minoritized (hereafter minoritized) perinatal women, and infants (children under 18 months) in Phillips County, Arkansas. The primary minoritized group are AA/Black community members who comprise 61.5% of the total population of Phillips County. Project goals and objectives: The overarching goal of AR Delta HOPE is to expand the delivery of health care services to improve perinatal and infant health outcomes and reduce disparities associated with rural and minoritized perinatal and infant health in Phillips County. Objective 1. Provide group prenatal care, health education, and support through Mobile CenteringPregnancy with a focus on AA/Black community members experiencing the greatest perinatal and infant health disparities. Objective 2. Provide group postpartum and infant care, health education, and support through Mobile CenteringParenting with a focus on AA/Black community members experiencing the greatest perinatal and infant health disparities. Objective 3. Provide help navigating SDoH with a focus on AA/Black community members experiencing the greatest perinatal and infant health disparities. Evidence-based or evidence-informed model(s) project will use: AR Delta HOPE utilizes the evidence-based models CenteringPregnancy and CenteringParenting, which have been demonstrated to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Expected outcome(s) of the proposed project: 1. Improved perinatal and infant health outcomes, including improvements in early and adequate prenatal care and reduction in low birthweight, and preterm births. 2. Enhanced trust in health care systems among AA/Black communities. 3. Strengthened local rural health care systems in Phillips County Capacity to serve rural underserved populations: AR Delta HOPE is implemented by UAMS East in collaboration with the Phillips County Health Unit and the Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center. The project incorporates a community-based participatory approach and engages a Stakeholder Advisory Board to ensure services are contextually and culturally relevant. The program also leverages resources from state-level organizations and its prior success with a pilot intervention in Phillips County.
