Funding supports Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to increase access to maternal care; address maternal depression; and grow the maternal health workforce
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced more than $4 million in awards to North Carolina to support the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (PDF - 912 KB), a whole-of-government strategy to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal health, particularly in underserved communities.
The United States’ maternal mortality rate has been among the highest of any developed nation in recent decades. Disparities in mortality are stark — Black women are more than three times as likely as White women to die from pregnancy-related causes. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to reversing these trends and making the U.S. the best country in the world to have a baby.
“At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we are laser-focused on reversing this crisis by expanding access to maternal care, growing the maternal care workforce, supporting moms experiencing maternal depression, and addressing the important social supports that are vital to safe pregnancies,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “We are delighted to partner with Secretary Kinsley, who has been leading this charge for families across North Carolina, and with community partners throughout the state. We know it will take all of us working together to reduce and eliminate maternal health disparities, and we are committed to this work.”
“Supporting mothers before, during, and after pregnancy is the best way to ensure healthy births,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We are grateful for this investment and partnership that will expand access to high quality health care and strengthen families and communities in North Carolina.”
Today’s HRSA funding awards in North Carolina will support the key goals of the Administration’s White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis and the work of leaders throughout North Carolina. This more than $4 million federal investment includes:
- Support parents in communities with the highest rates of maternal deaths: HRSA is investing more than $2 million to fund two new programs through our Healthy Start Initiative to provide direct services to pregnant and postpartum mothers – services such as care coordination, doula services and parent education classes -- as well as to support community-wide efforts to address the non-medical factors that impact health outcomes, such as housing and nutrition.
- Grow and support the maternal workforce: HRSA is investing more than $900,000 to train and deploy more nurse midwives by supporting nurse midwifery program at East Carolina University to grow the maternal health nursing workforce and expand access to care.
- Expanding screening and treatment for maternal depression and other mental health and substance use disorders: HRSA is investing $750,000 to support training OB/GYNs, midwives and other maternal health providers in treating mental health and substance use disorders. This includes equipping maternal health providers with real-time teleconsultation support, linking them with psychiatrists and other mental health providers to better meet their patients’ behavioral health needs.
- Build birthing facilities’ capacity to reduce maternal death and severe illness: HRSA is investing $200,000 to provide support to North Carolina to implement “patient safety bundles” in birthing facilities through the HRSA-funded Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) program, which aims to improve the quality of care by addressing critical issues such as obstetric hemorrhage, severe hypertension, and care for those with substance use disorder.
- Support mothers and their families with Medicaid eligibility redeterminations: HRSA is investing more than $170,000 to help new mothers and their families navigate the Medicaid redetermination process associated with the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
Today’s awards include:
| Healthy Start-Enhanced | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Care Ring, Inc. | Charlotte | $1,022,542 |
| North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services | Raleigh | $1,100,000 |
| Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Program | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services | Raleigh | $750,000 |
| Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Training Program | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| East Carolina University | Greenville | $921,375 |
| Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Program – Capacity | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | $200,000 |
| State Maternal Health Innovation Program – Supplemental Funding | City | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services | Raleigh | $170,233 |