Enhancing partnerships with obstetric care clinicians to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum people and their infants - The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased to submit this response to CDC-RFA-DD-23-0004 for the “Enhancing partnerships to address birth defects, infant disorders and related conditions, and the health of pregnant and postpartum people” Notice of Funding Opportunity. ACOG is a national specialty membership organization serving obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) whose public health-driven mission is the advancement of the health or all people seeking obstetric and gynecologic care. ACOG’s robust history of education of and outreach to ob-gyns, other obstetric health care practitioners (HCPs), patients, consumers, and key public health partners, as well as its extensive experience in responding to enhancing the health of pregnant and postpartum people, will serve as a foundation for this project. As the nation’s premier professional membership organization for ob-gyns, ACOG is well positioned to effectively reach clinicians who care for pregnant and postpartum people. ACOG will collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a robust network of existing and new partner organizations to provide clinical guidance, resources, training, and expertise to ob-gyns and other obstetric HCPs across the United States in order to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum people. Further, ob-gyns and other obstetric HCPs play an important role in diagnosing and treating patients during infectious disease threats, as well as in sharing timely, accurate, and evidence-based information, especially among pregnant and postpartum people. ACOG will support ob-gyns and other obstetric HCPs in these critical roles by effectively enhancing partnerships to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities for pregnant and postpartum people through achievement of the following outcomes over the course of the project period: (1) increased dissemination of data-informed clinical care and public health materials, messaging, resources, and interventions (component A); (2) increased use of data-informed clinical care, public health materials, messaging, resources, and interventions(component A); (3) improved information sharing and/or coordination among clinician, public health, and community groups (components A&B); (4) increased awareness about outbreak response and issues that affect pregnant and postpartum people and their families during public health emergencies (component B); and (5) improved capacity within ACOG and partner organizations to respond to the needs of pregnant and postpartum people and their families during public health emergencies (component B). Specifically, ACOG will maintain existing resources and develop new resources for ob-gyns and other obstetric HCPs and patients as needed to support their care of pregnant and postpartum people. ACOG will disseminate and promote clinical guidance and resources, both from ACOG and CDC, related to various health issues that disproportionately affect this population. ACOG will collaborate with CDC and partner organizations throughout the project to ensure coordinated and strategic communication of clinical guidance and messaging to ob-gyns and other obstetric HCPs. ACOG will engage subject matter Expert Work Groups to drive and inform ACOG’s response efforts related to the development of clinical recommendations, the development of patient and other practitioner resources, addressing member questions, and identification of best practices.
