Investing in Maternal Healthcare to Improve the Healthcare System

Investing in maternal healthcare is essential to the overall sustainability of the healthcare system. Maternal health outcomes are closely linked to the well-being of families and communities, and complications during pregnancy and childbirth remain contributors to preventable illness and death worldwide. By prioritizing maternal healthcare, through access to quality prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services, the healthcare system can reduce complications and improve long-term health for mothers and children. 

AHPA Recognizes That Maternal Healthcare is a Driver of Health

AHPA recognizes maternal healthcare as a key driver of overall health, emphasizing its central role in shaping health outcomes for families and communities. AHPA’s stance is rooted in a commitment to advocate for policies that improve access to high-quality maternal health services as a way to advance health equity and reduce preventable maternal and infant mortality. 

Government Investment Can Create Sustainable Solutions for Maternal Healthcare Nationwide

Funding can support:

• Home Visiting and Prenatal Care: Investing in programs that provide voluntary home visiting services and comprehensive prenatal care improves maternal and infant health outcomes by offering education, support and early intervention for at-risk families. 
• Strengthening Medicaid Coverage and Continuity of Care: Sustained government investment in Medicaid ensures that pregnant and postpartum women have consistent access to essential health services, including mental health and postpartum care, which is associated with lower maternal mortality, improved birth outcomes and reduced racial and geographic disparities.
• Maternal Health Research and Workforce Development: Allocating funds to research and training for maternal health professionals builds capacity for high-quality care. This approach also allows for a workforce that can meet the needs of diverse populations, improving long-term maternal and infant health outcomes. 

The five AHPA health systems are already leading the way in addressing Maternal Healthcare within their communities:

AdventHealth is Reducing Postpartum Disparities and Expanding Access to Prenatal and Postpartum Care: 

• Addressing Postpartum Disparities: AdventHealth for Women’s Fourth Trimester program improves postpartum care for Black mothers at higher risk for conditions like high blood pressure. Care coordinators schedule follow-ups, ensure medications are filled and provide education and blood pressure cuffs. The program has cut hospital readmissions by 20%.
• Expanding Access to Prenatal and Postpartum Care: In Daytona Beach, AdventHealth invested $250,000 to help launch Baby Steps Daytona, a public–private clinic offering rapid prenatal and postpartum care to uninsured or underinsured mothers. 

LLUH is Improving Maternal Health by Providing Personalized Support and Access to Childcare Resources: 

• Community Health Worker (CHW) Integration for Maternal Support: The Community Health Worker Integration Program at LLUH places trained CHWs in hospitals, clinics and schools to support mothers and infants, including those in the NICU. They offer culturally competent guidance and connect families to services.
• Diaper Distribution Program: The effort supports low-income mothers by easing the cost of childcare supplies and connecting them to resources. In 15 months, it has distributed over 1 million diapers, along with food boxes, potty training education and preschool referrals.

Adventist Health is Extending Maternal and Neonatal Care Beyond Hospital Walls:

• In-Home and Remote Neonatal Support: At Adventist Health Tillamook, a NICU telemedicine service links the Family Birth Place with OHSU neonatal specialists using robotic cameras for real-time emergency consultations. Funded by community support, it helps stabilize infants, reduces transfers to urban hospitals and keeps families together. Meanwhile, White Memorial in Los Angeles runs the “Welcome Baby” home visitation program for underserved mothers, offering prenatal visits, a hospital visit and postpartum home visits with support on breastfeeding, childcare and connecting to resources like WIC and food assistance.

Adventist HealthCare is Addressing Maternal Health Disparities and Improving Access to Infant Nutrition:

• Targeting Maternal Health Disparities: At Shady Grove Medical Center, the hospital joined the B.I.R.T.H. Equity program in September 2024 to train emergency staff in recognizing pregnancy complications and reducing implicit bias. The hospital also participates in the Montgomery County Perinatal Program, offering reduced-cost prenatal and postpartum care to uninsured and underinsured women, including medical services, case management and multilingual support for up to one year after delivery.
• Improving Infant Nutrition Access Through Donor Milk: Shady Grove Medical Center partnered with King’s Daughters Milk Bank to establish Maryland’s only hospital-based Milk Depot, offering screened and pasteurized donor breastmilk to all families, while standardizing its use for NICU and vulnerable infants.

Kettering Health is Enhancing Maternal Care Through Prenatal Education and Accessible Lactation Support: 

• Prenatal Education & Support: Kettering Health hosts a wide range of educational and support programs for expectant and new parents. These include childbirth education classes (in-person and virtual), as well as Baby Fairs at maternity centers. The fairs feature financial planning, infant CPR, car seat safety, tours of labor and delivery suites and mental health resources via support lines and groups. 
• Lactation Care and Education: In partnership with Nest Collaborative, Kettering Health offers 24/7 virtual lactation support, providing same-day access to lactation consultants in multiple languages, especially valuable for rural or working mothers who can’t attend in-person sessions. Additionally, the “First Steps Breastfeeding” program offers in-hospital breastfeeding assistance and outpatient lactation services. 

The Opportunity to Transform Maternal Healthcare

The opportunity to transform maternal healthcare lies in strategic investment in solutions that address access, quality and equity of care. By supporting innovative efforts, stakeholders can create lasting improvements in maternal and infant health outcomes, reduce disparities and enhance the overall patient experience. These changes foster healthier families and communities and strengthen the healthcare workforce. Stakeholders across government, healthcare and the private sector are called to act collaboratively, ensuring every mother receives high-quality, personalized care and that maternal health becomes a national priority. 

Additional Resources:

• Baby Steps Daytona
• Collaboration Aims to Provide Virtual Breastfeeding Support
• Maryland’s First Hospital-Based Milk Depot