New HRSA Initiative will Focus Maternal Health Efforts in High-Need States
MMHLA Executive Director Adrienne Griffen recently participated in the kick-off event for the Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative hosted by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on January 25, 2024.
The goal of the initiative is to address maternal mortality and maternal health disparities by maximizing the impact of HRSA grants and programs, fostering new partnerships and collaborations among HRSA grantees, and strengthening HRSA’s internal capacity.
Left to right: Amy Stiffarm, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Montana; Nicole Barnett, counselor on the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline; Adrienne Griffen, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance; Dr. Michael Warren, HRSA / MCHB Associate Administrator.
The Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative brings together several HRSA efforts aimed at addressing our nation’s maternal health crisis. The initiative will focus specifically on states where HRSA has significant investments and where there is high need, including Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.
The event included presentations from HRSA Administrator Carol Johnson and Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL), who is the co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Panel discussions included stories from women with lived experience with maternal health complications, as well as presentations from current HRSA grantees.
