State maternal health innovation program - the indiana department of health (idoh) has recognized an immediate need to address rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in association with poor…

State maternal health innovation program - the indiana department of health (idoh) has recognized an immediate need to address rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in association with poor maternal mental health (MMH) outcomes. Using emerging maternal health strategies, indiana is committed to eliminating preventable maternal mortality and reducing any severe complications resulting from pregnancy. Idoh believes that the state maternal health innovation (MHI) and data capacity program hrsa funding opportunity is tailor-made for indiana's current momentum towards sustainably improving physical and mental wellbeing of women and birthing persons. In recent years, indiana has seen an emerging state need to address postpartum and mental health for women and birthing persons. According to the 2021 annual report from the indiana maternal mortality committee (mmrc), 85 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths occurred postpartum with 56% occurring after 6 weeks. Moreover, substance use disorder (SUD) was identified as the most common factor that contributed to mortality, showing that SUD contributed to over half of all pregnancy-associated deaths in the years of 2018 and 2019. Black women and birthing persons have consistently had higher rates of pregnancy-associated deaths than their white and hispanic counterparts. Although indiana has approached maternal mortality by through critical efforts such as pregnancy navigation, joining the alliance for innovation of maternal health (aim), and designating birthing facilities by a mandated perinatal levels of care, these efforts aren't structured to address the areas of equitable postpartum and mental health care. Indiana is seeing health inequality, bias, and stigma silencing the needs of women and birthing persons. Indiana has worked without fail to make meaningful changes in severe maternal morbidity and the downstream barriers to overall maternal health as IT relates to the birth experience. However, there is a need to add a new direction w ITH systems- level change for health equity and maternal mental health to continue to impact sustainable change in lives of women and birthing persons. Idoh will be resourceful and innovative in its approach while fulfilling all requirements for the state MHI and data capacity program hrsa funding, if granted the opportunity. Idoh will improve maternal mental health in indiana through strategic planning, improvements in overall data surveillance and analysis, enhancements in aim data and enrollment, and innovative mobilization in the workforce and community. A maternal health task force (mhtf) and community advisory committee (CAC) will guide state and project staff to identify areas of needs and develop a maternal health strategic plan. Idoh will improve data and surveillance through collecting qualitative data in the progressing postpartum project, collecting data on social determinants of health (sdoh), and collaborative efforts for data linkage of existing maternal health dashboards. Idoh will also improve data quality and aim implementation through strengthening the workforce, improving current data usage for racial and ethnic data, and promoting continuous quality improvement among participating aim hospitals. Finally, idoh will employ innovative strategies by piloting the aim safety bundle, postpartum discharge transition, with a stepped care model for mental health in five sites, providing training for providers to improve health equity and respectful care, and mobilizing community members to participate as equity care advocates and CAC members. Given the information above, women and birthing persons in indiana deserve to have healthier lives before, during, and after giving birth. If granted this opportunity, indiana will address these barriers and challenges. Idoh staff is ready and willing to be challenged with this opportunity.