Friday, April 25, 2025
4/25/2025
State Maternal Health Innovation Program - Missouri ranks 44th in the US for maternal mortality and is behind national averages for most indicators of key maternal health outcomes. In 2021, there were 69,453 births in the state and 85 Missouri women died while pregnant or within 1 year of pregnancy (2020). Maternal mortality and morbidity continue to grow due to social determinants of health (SDOH) and disparities amongst birthing people. Inequities are evident among Black women, those without insurance or with a Medicaid-covered birth, and individuals with chronic disease, including mental illness – the leading contributor to maternal mortality in the state. In response to these needs and the opportunity for maternal Health Innovation (MHI) presented by HRSA 24-047, the Missouri Collaboration for Clinical Community Integration in Maternal Health (MO C3) represented by applicant SSM Health and collaborative partners, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHSS), Missouri Department of Social Services – MO HealthNet Division, and the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative/Maternal Child Learning and Action Network (PQC/LAN) proposes to improve access to comprehensive, high quality, risk appropriate, integrated and continuous care from preconception through 1-year postpartum with subsequent transition to primary and specialty care through a Clinical Community Integration (CCI) framework to drive improvements in maternal care and reduce disparate outcomes in maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM). MO C3 will 1) utilize a CCI strategy across initiatives, providing a comprehensive approach to improve maternal care quality, addressing the medical, behavioral, and social/structural drivers contributing to poor maternal health outcomes; 2) design and implement data driven innovations in maternal care to address identified needs and impact disparities; and 3) obtain proof of concept at a minimum of 2 pilot sites in the state. MO C3 will accomplish these goals by: Adapting the existing PQC/LAN as the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF), while enhancing the LAN’s efforts to incorporate CCI strategies into their work Leveraging existing and emerging statewide initiatives toward a maternal health strategic plan (MHSP) that builds upon active state/local efforts, the CCI framework, and a comprehensive approach to maternal health care, regardless of the care modality. Creating a learning collaborative to develop, implement and evaluate a CCI curriculum to transform maternal health care to a comprehensive, integrated system that addresses medical, behavioral health, social and material needs that could inform value-based maternal health care models. Demonstrating an innovative care model, facilitated by the CCI curriculum, which is predicated on and aligned with Missouri’s successful Primary Care Health Home (PCHH) model. Collaborating with MO DHSS and MO HealthNet to identify and capture data that links SDOH and maternal outcomes. Collaborating with the Missouri Primary Care Association (MPCA) and clinical partners to foster transition of care to primary and specialty care beyond the postpartum period. MO C3 will focus its programming on the 2,001,751 Missouri women of reproductive age (defined as 10-60 years old based on 2019 estimates), with an emphasis on those disproportionally impacted by maternal morbidity and SMM. This includes persons with maternal health care access barriers; unfavorable geographical, demographic, and SDOH; and chronic disease before, during, and after pregnancy. Initiatives will be collaborative and coordinated at the state level but include modalities responsive to local needs, including local public health departments and models that seek to integrate doulas. To accomplish this work, SSM Health and its collaborative partners propose a State Maternal Health Innovations collaborative award with a Year 1 budget of $1,497,367 and a 5-year program cost of $7,488,615.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).