A recently announced partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health and Heartland Forward is generating attention among maternal and infant health advocates. Through a new Memorandum of Understanding, the organizations will work together to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality while strengthening care before, during and after pregnancy.
The partnership will support the expansion of the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative, a nationwide network of hospitals and health care teams focused on improving maternal and infant outcomes. By sharing information, aligning strategies and analyzing data, the organizations hope to identify opportunities to improve care and expand evidence-based practices. The collaboration will also help strengthen efforts to address health challenges across the maternal and child health continuum.
A Shared Commitment to Mothers
Heartland Forward, a non-profit that strives to reduce the US maternal mortality rate by half, brings significant momentum to the effort. The coalition established the Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice and recently launched Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America. The initiative seeks to unite policymakers, business leaders, clinicians, faith leaders and community advocates around practical solutions to improve maternal health outcomes.
The campaign has also helped elevate maternal health as an area of bipartisan agreement. Leaders from both political parties have publicly supported efforts to address maternal mortality, recognizing that healthier mothers and babies benefit every community. As Heartland Forward leaders have emphasized, maternal health is not a political issue — it is an American one.
A Path Forward for Families
Meaningful progress will require more than awareness alone. It will take sustained investment, data-driven decision-making and coordination among stakeholders across the health care system. Initiatives like the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative and Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America demonstrate how public and private partners can work together to tackle complex challenges and improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
The new collaboration between HHS and Heartland Forward signals growing momentum around maternal health. By expanding partnerships and focusing on research, leaders across sectors have an opportunity to help ensure healthier futures for mothers, babies and families.
