Partnership to Improve Health Outcomes for Mothers and Babies
Feb. 28, 2013
Jackson, Mich. — Allegiance
Health is pleased to announce a new partnership with Meridian Health Plan to
implement the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative. Meridian was recently
chosen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation
Center as a funding recipient. Together, Allegiance and Meridian will
use this grant to assist pregnant women who receive prenatal care through
Allegiance Health.
Director of
Allegiance Women’s and Children’s Health Services Jenny Wren said, “We are
delighted to be partnering with Meridian Health Plan on this important
initiative, which will lead to improved outcomes for the mothers and infants we
care for in Jackson County and our surrounding communities.”
A total of 182
health care facilities across the country will support the Strong Start for
Mothers and Newborns initiative, which aims to reduce preterm births and
improve health outcomes for newborns and pregnant women. The four-year
initiative also seeks to determine approaches to decrease the anticipated total
cost of medical care during pregnancy, delivery and over the first year of life
for children born to mothers in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance
Program.
“Meridian is
thrilled to implement this grant in partnership with Allegiance Health,” said
Meridian Health Plan Chief Operating Officer Shery Cotton. “I’m proud of the
team who worked to make this grant a reality.”
CMS is promoting
awareness, spreading best practices and promoting transparency by choosing to
fund this initiative to reduce early elective deliveries. The initiative will
also test and evaluate enhanced prenatal care interventions, including prenatal
care through centering/group visits, prenatal care at birth centers and
prenatal care at maternity care homes for women who are at risk of delivering
preterm.
Babies born
prematurely are a growing public health concern. More than 500,000 premature
births occur in the United States each year, a number that has grown by 36
percent over the last 20 years.