Last February, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the launch of the HHS Secretary's Postpartum Maternal Health Collaborative.
Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Mexico participated in the one year program aimed to boost postpartum maternal and infant health in the United States.
The goal of the program is “to bring together state experts, local providers, community partners, and federal experts to develop a better understanding of the challenges being experienced among the postpartum population and support new solutions that will improve postpartum mortality,” according to an HHS release.
Almost one year since the launch of the initiative, participants were successful in “developing new, multi-sector relationships including government, health plans and local providers; using data to identify multiple change ideas and opportunities for improvement; and implementing and testing interventions in rapid cycles of measurement and improvement, focusing on cardiovascular health and behavioral health,” according to HHS’s fact sheet.
What participants said
“Participation in the Collaborative has sparked a sense of urgency and stimulated stakeholder engagement across the continuum of care.”
“Using a simple tool like the PSDA has kept the team focused, prevented drift, kept the improvements manageable and produced results.”
