HHS officials will be joined by the Institute for Population Health, Inc., Healthy Start Detroit, American Indian Health and Family Services, Henry Ford Health, Detroit Health Department, Wayne State University, University of Michigan Health, and others committed to reducing high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among pregnant women.
On Saturday, August 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch its M.O.M.S. Tour (Maternal Outcomes Matter Showers) in Detroit, Michigan. This national tour aims to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly among African American and American Indian/Alaska Native women, in communities with high maternal and morbidity rates. In addition to Detroit, the M.O.M.S Tour plans to visit Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2023.
The M.O.M.S. Tour brings together mental health professionals, birth workers, medical professionals, and community members to engage in meaningful discussions on maternal health disparities and explore ways to provide supports and services for women at risk. New moms, pregnant women, and families are encouraged to join the event where they will have access to educational information, essential health-related services such as health care coverage, mental health services, local support services offered by doulas and midwives, vaccinations, nutritious food and more.
Addressing maternal health disparities has been a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. Recognizing that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations –especially among Black and American Indian and Alaska Native women who are 2.5-3 times more likely to die during childbirth compared to non-Hispanic Whites – the Biden-Harris Administration produced a Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis – PDF. One of the priority actions called for in the blueprint is ensuring comprehensive, continuous maternal health insurance coverage during pregnancy, and for no less than one year afterwards. Approximately 42% of births are covered by Medicaid, but historically people with Medicaid lost postpartum coverage 60 days after the end of pregnancy. During the Biden-Harris Administration, HHS has for the first-time approved extension of Medicaid postpartum benefits to 12 months, and to date 35 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Island which aims to reduce the rate of maternal morbidity and mortality, including significant health disparities for Black women during the postpartum period.
On Saturday, August 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch its M.O.M.S. Tour (Maternal Outcomes Matter Showers) in Detroit, Michigan. This national tour aims to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly among African American and American Indian/Alaska Native women, in communities with high maternal and morbidity rates. In addition to Detroit, the M.O.M.S Tour plans to visit Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Houston, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2023. The M.O.M.S. Tour brings together mental health professionals, birth workers, medical professionals, and community members to engage in meaningful discussions on maternal health disparities and explore ways to provide supports and services for women at risk. New moms, pregnant women, and families are encouraged to join the event where they will have access to educational information, essential health-related services such as health care coverage, mental health services, local support services offered by doulas and midwives, vaccinations, nutritious food and more.Addressing maternal health disparities has been a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. Recognizing that the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations –especially among Black and American Indian and Alaska Native women who are 2.5-3 times more likely to die during childbirth compared to non-Hispanic Whites – the Biden-Harris Administration produced a Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis – PDF. One of the priority actions called for in the blueprint is ensuring comprehensive, continuous maternal health insurance coverage during pregnancy, and for no less than one year afterwards. Approximately 42% of births are covered by Medicaid, but historically people with Medicaid lost postpartum coverage 60 days after the end of pregnancy. During the Biden-Harris Administration, HHS has for the first time approved extension of Medicaid postpartum benefits to 12 months, and to date 35 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Island which aims to reduce the rate of maternal morbidity and mortality, including significant health disparities for Black women during the postpartum period.The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 includes $471 million to support ongoing implementation of the blueprint and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates; expand maternal health initiatives in rural communities; implement implicit bias training for healthcare providers; create pregnancy medical home demonstration projects; and address the highest rates of perinatal health disparities, including by supporting the perinatal health workforce. Because maternal mental health conditions are the most common complications of pregnancy and childbirth, the budget continues to support the maternal mental health hotline as well as screening and treatment for maternal depression and related behavioral disorders. In addition, the budget strengthens collection and evaluation of sociodemographic data.
The FY 2024 also budget includes $1.9 billion for HRSA Maternal and Child Health programs. Within this total, the budget directs $276 million towards reducing maternal mortality and morbidity and $185 million for the Healthy Start program to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.
Finally, the FY 2024 budget provides funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue the Implementing a Maternal Health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative to support research focused on interventions to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity and address risk factors that contribute to health disparities in maternal care.
LOGISTICAL INFORMATION
Details are subject to change.
WHEN: Saturday, August 12, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST
WHO:
Rev. Dr. Que English, Director, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, HHS
- Deputy Assistant Secretary Debra Johnson, Administration for Children & Families (ACF), HHS
Acting Deputy Commissioner Michelle Sauve, Administration for Native Americans, ACF, HHS
Dr. Sonia Hassan, Associate Vice President, Office of Women’s Health Professor, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Co-Chair of Michigan’s Maternal Infant Health and Equity Collaborative, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Wayne State University
Detroit City Councilman Coleman A. Young II
Natasha Bagdasarian MD, MPH, FIDSA,Chief Medical Executive, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Jaye Clement, Vice President of Community Health, Programs and Strategies and Women-Inspired Neighborhood (WIN) Network, Henry Ford Health
Gwendolyn Daniels, Institute for Population Health, Inc. Healthy Start Detroit, Project Director
Chasity Dial, Chief Executive Officer, American Indian Health and Family Services
Melissa Limon-Flegler, Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance Program Coordinator, MDHHS
Casey Grant, Community Wellness Director, Healthy Start & Family Spirit, American Indian Health & Family Services
Dawn Misra, Chair of the Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University
Dr. Alex Friedman Peahl, Assistant Professor, Medical School, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Health
Dr. Claudia Richardson, Medical Director, Detroit Health Department and Member of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee
Dawn Shanafelt, Director, Division of Maternal & Infant Health and Director, Title V Maternal Child Health, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
Bishop Drew Sheard, Sr. Pastor, Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC
Dr. Iris Taylor, Director of Nursing, Detroit Health Department and Advisor to SE Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative
Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Sr., Vice President of Community Health & Equity and Chief Wellness and Diversity Officer, Henry Ford Health
Amy Zaagman, Executive Director, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
WHERE: Greater Emmanuel Intuitional Church of God in Christ, 19190 Schaefer Highway, Detroit, MI 48235, Social Hall
PRESS: RSVP to Heidi.Christensen@hhs.gov
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Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
