Rural maternity and obstetrics management strategies program - title: the connecting rural areas and disadvantaged locations to exceptional (cradle) maternal and obstetrics care in western missouri…

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded Golden Valley Memorial Hospital District $999,906 on September 30, 2026, under the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies Program (CFDA 93.912) to establish the Connecting Rural Areas and Disadvantaged Locations to Exceptional (CRADLE) Maternal and Obstetrics Care in Western Missouri Program.

The CRADLE Program will deliver enhanced prenatal care, labor care, birthing, and postpartum care services to approximately 1,400 pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding individuals across a rural six-county region in western Missouri (Bates, Benton, Cedar, Henry, Saint Clair, and Cass Counties). Services will address the region's leading maternal health risk factors, including mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and cardiovascular disease. The target population faces higher rates of late prenatal care, high-risk pregnancies not delivered in OB Level II and III facilities, inadequate prenatal care, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and gestational diabetes. In Cass County, all project resources will serve exclusively the seven rural census tracts comprising the majority (86%) of the county's total land area.

Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, a 56-bed rural hospital located in Clinton, Missouri, leads the program on behalf of its network partners of hospitals, behavioral health, and community services. The hospital operates the region's only birthing center. Performance will occur in Missouri from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2030. This is a Project Grant assistance type with a four-year period of performance.

Rural maternity and obstetrics management strategies program - title: the connecting rural areas and disadvantaged locations to exceptional (cradle) maternal and obstetrics care in western missouri program. Proposed program. Lead applicant golden valley memorial healthcare (gvmh) on behalf of its network partners of hospitals, behavioral health, and community services, is applying for the hrsa rural maternity and obstetrics management strategies program (rmoms) to establish the connecting rural areas and disadvantaged locations to exceptional (cradle) maternal and obstetrics care in western missouri program. Gvmh is a leading rural healthcare organization and hospital located in clinton, MO that offers western missouri's only birthing center. Target service area and population. The cradle program will strengthen and deliver comprehensive maternity and obstetrical services for approximately 1,400 pregnant, post-partum, and breastfeeding individuals in a rural, six-county region of western MO containing maternity deserts and low-access areas, encompassing bates, benton, cedar, henry, saint clair, and cass counties. For cass county, all project resources will be exclusively focused on serving the rural communities in its seven rural census tracts comprising the majority (86%) of its total land area. Maternity and obstetric risk. The cradle program will provide participants with enhanced prenatal care, labor care, birthing and postpartum care services that will address the region's leading risk factors jeopardizing maternal health, including mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Statistics show that rural individuals in this region face higher rates of late prenatal care, high risk pregnancies not delivered in OB level II and III facilities, inadequate prenatal care, more mothers smoking during pregnancy, and higher rates of gestational diabetes. According to the MO pregnancy-associated mortality review (pamr) data dashboard, four of six counties were rated as maternity deserts (bates, benton, cass, ST. Clair), while the other two were rated low access (cedar, henry.) for all six counties, the obgyn provider rate per 100,000 is rated at zero. Model. Gvmh as the lead agency will coordinate all cradle network and program activities and function as a "hub" in two ways: 1) as the labor and delivery hub for patients of partner hospitals, and 2) as a capacity-extender hub deploying gvmh obgyn physicians, gvmh perinatal community health workers, and other immediate postpartum support for coverage across partner sites (or "spokes"). The hub and partner healthcare spokes will provide prenatal and postpartum services within their designated service area counties. Following delivery at gvmh, postpartum and breastfeeding patients will have short-term follow-up from gvmh before returning to their primary care through the "spoke" providers for well-woman and well-baby visits. One large regional behavioral health provider and one large community service provider will offer core support to cradle participants across the service area as needed along the perinatal continuum through in-person and virtual services. Then, the entire missouri-based service cohort (hub and spokes) will be supported by two tertiary provider partners who will infuse the network with specialty training, consultation, and telehealth to advance capacity in the region. The MO state medicaid office rounds out the network membership to assist program partners with planning for sustainability throughout the whole funding period. Evidence-based and -informed practices. The cradle program will feature evidence-based and -informed practice as presented by the network, the tertiary provider partners, and through inclusion of aim patient safety bundles, uniteus, and perinatal care coordination and community health worker models from the hrsa rural health information hub.