United Health Foundation Awards $7M in Grants to Improve Maternal, Infant Health

More than $7 million in grants are being awarded to organizations in Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico and Wisconsin to improve maternal and infant healthcare, reduce disparities and strengthen the doula workforce in underserved communities through efforts by the United Health Foundation, the charitable branch of UnitedHealth Group.

This initiative comes at a time when maternal deaths are rising across the U.S.

According to the America’s Health Rankings Health of Women and Children Report by the United Health Foundation, maternal mortality increased by 34% between 2014 and 2018 and 2018 and 2022, while infant mortality remains high at 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Pregnant mother

The report highlights key disparities among vulnerable populations, where access to care and health outcomes are a significant concern.

For example, the report found that American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander women face maternal mortality rates 2.5 to 4.5 times higher than white women.

Infant mortality improvements have been slight, with small declines among Black (12%) and Hispanic (9%) infants compared to white infants (15%).

In addition, low birth weight among Black infants remains 2.1 times higher than among white infants.

Lisa Saul, M.D., national medical director of maternal child health at UnitedHealthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, stressed the situation.

“Ensuring the health of women and children is crucial for building strong communities nationwide,” Saul said, noting that the Health Rankings data brief revealed gaps in care that affect the very core of families in the U.S.

In Georgia, these disparities are especially evident.

The 2024 March of Dimes Report Card gave Georgia an “F” for overall maternal and infant health, citing a preterm birth rate of 11.8% in 2023.

Black infants in Georgia are 1.4 times more likely to be born preterm than those of other racial groups. Infant mortality has also increased over the past decade, with 893 babies dying before their first birthday in 2022, the report card revealed.

To help address these issues and others, a $2 million grant is going to South Georgia Healthy Start, part of Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon.

The funding will expand prenatal and postpartum care, enhance health education and support mothers in a region struggling with rural hospital closures and a shortage of providers.

In Michigan, maternal mortality data also reveals unfortunate inequities.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 443 maternal deaths were reported between 2015 and 2019, with Black women 2.8 times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related causes.

A $1.2 million grant to Birth Detroit will help open the city’s first freestanding birth center, offering culturally responsive, relationship-based prenatal and pediatric services to support the city and state’s needs.

Wisconsin’s grant recipient, Meta House in Milwaukee, is receiving $1.5 million to support pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders.

A study published in Preventive Medicine in April 2024 found that 2.3% of all infants born in Wisconsin from 2007–2019 were exposed to maternal opioid use disorder (OUD), with many mothers receiving medication-assisted treatment such as buprenorphine or methadone during pregnancy.

In Las Cruces, New Mexico, La Clinica de Familia will use its $1.5 million grant to expand gynecological and prenatal services in rural areas where many patients currently travel up to 45 minutes for care.

According to a study published in Permanente Journal, rural mothers were less likely to attend a medical visit in the prenatal or postpartum period compared to their urban counterparts. They were also less likely to receive screening and counseling in the prenatal and postpartum maternity phases.

In addition, the United Health Foundation is also investing $1 million to support five nonprofit organizations working to grow and train the doula workforce.

These include HealthConnect One, Just Birth Space, Atlanta Doula Collective, New Mexico Doula Association and the African American Breastfeeding Network.

According to UnitedHealth Group, doulas help connect parents to services within the community, such as healthcare providers and support groups, which can help parents and their baby have better physical and mental health before, during and after birth.