The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) announced Tuesday that it has received a $5 million competitive federal grant to fund community and clinical programs that improve the state’s maternal health outcomes.
According to the 2022 Mother Mortality in Tennessee Report to the Tennessee General Assembly, in 2020, 98 women in the state died during pregnancy or within a year after the end of their pregnancy. Almost half, 47 percent, of all 2020 deaths were deemed pregnancy-related while 43 percent of all deaths were determined to be pregnancy-associated, but not related.
“The vast majority of maternal deaths in Tennessee are preventable,” TDH Commissioner Dr. Morgan McDonald, MD FACP FAAP, said in a statement. “This grant award will make a significant impact in preventing deaths among women of childbearing age, and in eliminating disparities and inequities in maternal health care services, education, and training.”
The TDH Division of Family Health and Wellness received the Maternal Health Innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to a press release from TDH.
TDH notes that the funding will go towards the following initiatives over the next five years:
- Expand membership in the state maternal health task force which will create a maternal health strategic plan for Tennessee;
- Strengthen capacities for data collection and analysis to implement maternal health clinical quality improvement projects;
- Create materials to educate patients about the early warning signs of pregnancy emergencies;
- Collaborate with local community agencies on projects to address maternal health needs;
- Share and support the lived experiences of women who survived pregnancy complications, and the experiences of relatives for women who didn’t, through public outreach efforts; and,
- Build a comprehensive maternal health website.
According to a statement given by Brenda Barker, executive director of the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care, the grant funding will specifically “support Tennessee hospitals and providers as they participate in maternal and infant improvement projects.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Maternal Health” by Office on Women’s Health.
