The Maternal Health Emergency Preparedness - JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), in partnership with Varda5 and Andrea Shields, M.D., M.S., is pleased to respond to funding opportunity HRSA-26-112, Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT). Through this timely initiative, we will extend the reach and impact of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) program by addressing a persistent gap in workforce training and preparedness in non-delivery and/or low-resource clinical settings. This partnership combines JSI’s 50-year history working with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve the quality of care for mothers and infants and our current role as the HRSA-funded AIM Technical Assistance (TA) Center with Varda5’s nationally recognized expertise in maternal-fetal medicine, emergency medical services, nursing, simulation education, instructional design, and health care implementation. We will address the leading causes of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and maternal mortality (MM) by developing and disseminating two national initiatives: (1) a standardized, interdisciplinary national emergency maternal health training, and (2) targeted implementation strategies of existing AIM resources for non-delivery and/or low-resource clinical settings. We will ensure meaningful collaboration with a range of experts and individuals with lived experience. The AIM TA Center’s Clinical and Community Advisory Group will advise on pathways to integrate the national training program into maintenance of certification or other credentialing mechanisms, and promotion of the training and implementation strategies. We will establish an expert working group with expertise related to the six critical conditions that are among the leading causes of SMM and MM—hemorrhage, hypertension, maternal sepsis, cardiac conditions, mental health crises, and substance use—to support the development and execution of project activities. For Initiative 1, we will develop a program to equip providers in non-delivery or low-resource settings with standardized, evidence-based training to address the six critical conditions. The training will include three components: a web-based curriculum, in-person simulation resources, and a train-the-trainer model. We will develop the training program using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model to ensure that content leverages high-quality national standards, recommendations, and existing national and state-based obstetric emergency management resources. For Initiative 2, we will develop implementation guides that translate the AIM Patient Safety Bundles and resources for non-delivery and/or low-resource settings. The guides will include 1) targeted implementation strategies to support the initial management of medical emergencies or conditions and the appropriate referral or transfer of pregnant and postpartum patients when appropriate; and 2) supportive resources to facilitate the adoption of evidence-based recommendations in these settings. We will coordinate with HRSA and the AIM TA Center to launch the training program and incorporate implementation strategies into non-delivery and/or low-resource clinical settings. Leveraging relationships with state AIM teams, the EWG, and the CCAG, we will further extend our reach to providers in these settings. Additionally, we will present and exhibit at national clinical conferences attended by the target audience, ensuring coordination with the AIM TA Center. We will implement a rigorous mixed-methods evaluation to assess program effectiveness across both initiatives. Grounded in implementation science principles, the evaluation will integrate quantitative performance measures with qualitative implementation data to assess implementation progress, uptake, completion, feasibility, usability, barriers, and sustainability.
