Program will support more than 127,000 pregnant and parenting Black women and their families across Georgia
Morehouse School of Medicine is pleased to announce it has received a grant of $1.725 million to be awarded over the next 36 months from the Amerigroup Foundation. The grant will help fund Morehouse School of Medicine’s (MSM) Narrowing the Maternal Health Inequity Gap through Training program. The initiative will reach more than 127,000 pregnant and parenting Black women and their families, with the goal of narrowing maternal mortality and maternal morbidity disparities through enhanced communication, reduced bias, clinical care coordination, and improved performance for marginalized communities. Specifically, the grant funds Enhancing Communication and Respectful Care Training, Training of Perinatal Professionals, and a rural maternal health residency program to expand the maternal health workforce in Georgia. The initiatives will be led by MSM’s Center for Maternal Health Equity, a division of the Prevention Research Center.
“The support from the Amerigroup Foundation helps MSM continue its diligent efforts to narrow the gap in maternal health inequity where it matters most – on the front lines. This program will train 60 doulas and 150 lactation consultants and connect 100 medical residents to communities where health inequities are the greatest.”
Natalie Hernandez, Executive Director , Center for Maternal Health Equity
“At the heart of our mission to improve lives and communities is a commitment to ensuring our neighbors across Georgia can build a brighter, healthier future for themselves and their babies,” stated Mel Lindsey, Amerigroup Georgia Medicaid Plan President. “We’re proud to support Morehouse School of Medicine as it leads the fight against health inequity, and we are confident this program’s focus on maternal health in minority communities lays a strong foundation for lifelong equality in care.”
Through the Perinatal Professional Training Program, doulas and lactation consultants will be trained to support more than 8,500 pregnant Black women in Georgia. The rural residency program will serve 14,450 Black women over the course of the project, aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Additionally, the grant provides increased training through Enhancing Communication and Respectful Care Training, which will be completed by 100 medical residents and 1,000 future health care providers.
For more information about how Morehouse School of Medicine is working to improve maternal health inequities, visit www.msm.edu.