TN Dept. of Health Will Use Federal Grant Award To Reduce Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Health has received a $5M competitive federal grant to fund community and clinical programs that improve Tennessee’s maternal health outcomes, TDH announced today.

“The vast majority of maternal deaths in Tennessee are preventable,” said TDH Commissioner Dr. Morgan McDonald, MD FACP FAAP. “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. Dept. of Health and Human Services to fund several initiatives in 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.

Analyzing maternal health data from 2017 to 2020, TDH’s Maternal Mortality Review Program found almost nine in 10 pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, and 24 percent had a good chance of being prevented.

"Congratulations to TDH on receiving the Maternal Health Innovation Grant,” said Brenda Barker, executive director of the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care. “This will allow Tennessee to continue the transformational work to improve maternal health, pregnancy, and birth, while addressing disparities in maternal and infant health. This grant will especially be important to support Tennessee hospitals and providers as they participate in maternal and infant improvement projects."

TIPQC is a collaborative stakeholder organization that seeks to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants in Tennessee through provider- and community-based initiatives.

Visit TDH’s Maternal and Child Health webpage for more information on programs and services improving the health of Tennessee’s women and children.

More information is available about HHS’s grant award announcement and its State Maternal Health Innovation Program.

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