June 11, 2024- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a combined investment of $15 million over four years through the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) Program to improve maternal health in rural communities and a new program focused on strengthening maternal care and reducing disparities in the Delta region (within Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee). HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman highlighted these strategic investments during the third state convening of HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative.
The Rural MOMS Program awardees announced today will each receive start-up funding of almost $4 million over four years to test out new approaches to support, enhance, and expand access to maternal care, including obstetric care, in rural communities. The Rural MOMS Program focuses on a network model-approach to coordinate care across rural hospitals, medical centers, community health centers and rural health clinics.
HRSA’s new Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program will expand access and coordination of health care services before, during, and after pregnancy in the Delta region of the South and Midwest. The funding will work to address unacceptable rates of maternal morbidity and mortality in the region. HRSA expects to award up to four cooperative agreements to recipients in the Delta region, totaling approximately $7 million over four years.