State Maternal Health Innovation

The State Maternal Health Innovation (State MHI) program is inviting applications for grant funding. The goal of this program is to lower rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity (SMM), and ensure that all mothers, especially those in vulnerable populations, get access to appropriate, ongoing, comprehensive, and high-quality care during all stages of pregnancy.

The program not only aims to enhance data collection and monitoring in the realm of maternal health at a state level, but also seeks to identify and implement innovative interventions to better maternal health outcomes. The funded programs will thus focus on advancing our knowledge and practice towards maternal health.

Specific objectives of the program include the creation of a 5-year strategic plan for improving maternal health in the state (MHSP). Each recipient is expected to draft this plan by September 29, 2025 (Year 1 of the project period). In the same year, the grant recipients will also collaborate with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to identify core metrics for assessing and reporting on the progress of program activities.

By Year 2, ending September 29, 2026, each recipient along with its Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) is expected to submit their final MHSP. Furthermore, each recipient will involve more community members from populations with high rates of maternal mortality and SMM in the Maternal Health Task Force and the implementation of the MHSP activities by Year 5 (ending September 29, 2029).

Each recipient will record and publish an annual public Maternal Health Report covering pertinent state-specific maternal health issues, for each year of the project period. Lastly, by the end of Year 5, recipients will identify innovative successful strategies from the project that can potentially be replicated, scaled up and sustained to further improve maternal health. More details can be found under the Program Requirements and Expectations section. This initiative is being coordinated by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).