Alabama (AL) has consistently been ranked among the worst for infant and maternal health in the U.S. Infant and maternal mortality rates are consistently above the U.S. average. Disparities by race and ethnicity persist, and access issues exacerbate these disparities in rural areas of the state. Co-morbid and chronic conditions, limited insurance coverage, providers in certain regions, and economic barriers for women compound health issues for the most vulnerable populations in AL. Women and children of color are affected more acutely by these and other critical issues. Several initiatives in AL target maternal health issues. In many instances, memberships on task forces, advisory committees, and other oversight bodies overlap, but slightly different agendas of and outcomes needed for these groups limit the ability to think comprehensively, systematically, and creatively about systemic collaboration on improvements of maternal health in Alabama. Through HRSA’s State Maternal Health Innovation and Data Capacity Program (HRSA-22-149) funding opportunity, state entities, community members, and other critical partners will convene as the Alabama Maternal Health Task Force to develop a strategic direction and plan related to improvement of maternal mortality and morbidity. We will also develop and implement integrated strategies to address the already identified critical needs in the areas of clinical care, data enhancement, workforce development, and community engagement. Data that are currently available and utilized by CDC and others suggest that Alabama’s ranking of maternal health status is more moderate than that for infants, but these data are incomplete and do not share a complete picture of maternal health in Alabama. Although there are initiatives that focus on maternal/women’s health, they are disconnected from each other, resulting in the lack of a comprehensive system that can build collaboration, provide useful data, prepare the workfo
rce, and increase access to care. To strengthen Alabama’s capacity to address disparities in maternal health and prevent/reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, we propose the following: 1) create the Alabama Maternal Health Task Force that will engage in and support the project activities and an overall strategic plan around maternal health initiatives; 2) enhance state-level data collection and surveillance through AIM initiatives and other avenues; 3) assess and seek to address workforce expansion and training needs related to maternal health, 4) improve access to comprehensive, continuous, high-quality maternal clinical care services using telehealth and other strategies, and 5) engage community partners, families, and others with lived experiences related to adverse maternal health outcomes. The Alabama Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ALPQC) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health (UAB SOPH) will lead this effort. The program leaders team includes experts in maternal health, public health systems, and MCH Title V. The project team is well-positioned to work with the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Title V program, AL Maternal Mortality Review Committee, telehealth resources within public health and in clinical arenas as well as other agencies that are relevant and needed. The ALPQC currently partners with the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) on their hypertension bundle and will continue to work in this area. The efforts outlined in this program support MCH Title V efforts related to performance measures around women’s health as well as those that focus on capacity building for this vulnerable population. All individual and collective components of this project will be rigorously evaluated and disseminated with all partners and publicly a variety of mechanisms.