Members in Action Case Study: Eliminating Disparities in Birth Outcomes

Spectrum Health’s Maternal Infant Health Program offers personalized services to help mothers and families have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Augmented by the federally funded Strong Beginnings program, which provides additional services to eligible African American and Hispanic women in Grand Rapids, Spectrum assists with locating health care services, finding transportation, and understanding the baby’s growth and development. The infant mortality among African Americans in Kent County fell by 46% in the past 12 years due in part to the Strong Beginnings community collaborative.