Little Rock, Arkansas – With a $17 million grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Arkansas has been given a major boost in healthcare services. Part of the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, the grant is meant to significantly raise maternal health throughout the state.
Emphasizing the important importance of this money, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “Healthy moms means healthy babies.” The award reflects advice from the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, established under Sanders’ direction. The insights of this committee have been very important in determining the requirements and plans to improve mother care across Arkansas.
The money, spread across ten years, seeks to fix disparities in mother health access and treatment. Along with other state Medicaid agencies, Arkansas will concentrate on three main areas: enhancing access to care, raising quality and safety, and delivering comprehensive care that addresses the needs of the whole person.
“We are grateful for the support from our federal partners as we work to implement changes that will improve maternal health outcomes in Arkansas,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam.
“This grant announcement builds on the momentum that began last year with the Governor’s Executive Order on maternal health, and the subsequent recommendations developed by a tremendous coalition of partners, stakeholders, and other supporters. We are proud to lead the way on key reforms that further these initiatives, and excited that this significant grant will bolster our efforts.”
The Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Renee Mallory, also highlighted the transformative potential of this grant.
“This grant and our state’s ongoing commitment will transform how we approach maternal health,” said Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Secretary Renee Mallory. “Arkansas is devoted to improving maternal health outcomes and ensuring every mother and child has the support they need. This grant is a significant step toward meeting the state’s vision and goals prioritized by the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health. Together, we will work to ensure healthier futures for families across our state.”
Among the particular strategies to be used with the grant money are the study of health data to better target mother health services, the education of providers and pregnant women on the benefits of using doulas, Community Health Workers, and midwives, and major technology investments. These technical developments seek to improve the delivery of services and build a strong infrastructure for data exchange about mother health.
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The grant will also help Medicaid reimbursement rates and payment systems be modified. This covers giving providers that produce better results for their patients incentives. It also seeks to enhance relationships between community-based organizations—including faith-based groups serving low-income women in Arkansas—and healthcare practitioners.
Janet Mann, DHS Deputy Secretary for Programs and State Medicaid Director, will lead the project. Mann expressed a commitment to leveraging this opportunity to make Arkansas a leader in maternal health.
“Over the last year, we have directed significant resources to addressing gaps in care for pregnant women, new mothers, and babies, and we remain committed to finding solutions that will improve and save lives,” Mann said. “This grant is an important next step, and I know that this project will be a key driver in helping Arkansas become a leader in maternal health.”
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The DHS website provides further information on the application of the TMaH award as well as Strategic Committee for Maternal Health recommendations. Along with a significant financial outlay for Arkansas’s healthcare system, this contribution shows an outstanding dedication to the health and welfare of its mothers and children.
