Maternal and Child Health Resource Repository

Rebecca B. Chickey, MPH, AHA’s senior director, behavioral health services, closes Mental Health Awareness Month with a blog highlighting what the AHA and member hospitals and health systems are doing to support American children and adolescents during the current mental health crisis and previewing how the AHA will share more insight about youth mental health throughout the year.

Adrienne Coopey, D.O., a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, discusses how a fully virtual collaborative care model helps deliver early behavioral health interventions and improve access and outcomes for children across West Virginia

As a nurse at Children's Hospital Colorado, Kayla McCarthy works tirelessly to support children awaiting or recovering from organ transplants. Inspired by the resilience and strength of her young patients, McCarthy decided to become a living organ donor through UCHealth's program.

Even before the COVID pandemic, the mental health and wellness of our young people was failing. The pandemic exacerbated the crisis and made it difficult for them to access needed care; many health care systems are still struggling to meet the challenge.

Access to youth and adolescent behavioral health care is a major challenge facing rural communities.

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This webinar highlight ways hospitals can engage maternal health champions to design solutions that target patient and community needs, assess impact, and raise awareness to catalyze organizational change.

A donation of virtual reality headsets to for pediatric patients at Sanford Medical Center Bismarck has opened new pathways to pain management, anxiety reduction and mental stimulation.

Beth Heinz, senior vice president, Women’s and Children’s Services at Yale New Haven Health, and Cheri Johnson, chief nursing officer, Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La., write about how the integration of pre- and postnatal care provides opportunities to assess and treat behavioral health issues in pregnant and postpartum patients, improving outcomes for moms and babies alike. READ MORE   

East Chicago, Ind., teen Nataly Paramó became the first pediatric heart transplant recipient at the Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill.

Across the nation, more and more hospitals and health systems are expanding access to treat the rapidly growing numbers of children and adults in crisis who need mental health services.

One of our best strategies to address the unique behavioral health challenges and demands of pregnant women and new mothers is recognizing that mental health is a central element to physical health, meaning we need to continually treat the whole person in our settings to the best of our abilities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention May 8 released an analysis that found declines in hospitalizations for infants infected with respiratory syncytial virus during the 2024-2025 RSV season.

In observance of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week May 4-10, the Health Resources and Services Administration highlighted its Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program that is available to provide free teleconsultation services for health professionals to help them better care for children and youth with behavioral health concerns.

In an AHA podcast, Women & Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, the challenges new mothers face and the innovative programs that are having success in maternal well-being and postpartum depression prevention.

Nearly 1 in 10 infants (9.8%) were admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in 2023, an increase of 13% from 2016, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were increases from 2016 to 2023 for each maternal age, race and Hispanic-origin group, gestational age and birthweight category, and in most states.    

In this conversation, Women & Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., member of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and the bipartisan Maternal Health Caucus, spoke to AHA Annual Meeting attendees May 5 about the threats posed to the Medicaid program, particularly how major cuts under consideration in Congress would threaten access to vital care, including maternal health services.

Speakers from Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and Regional One Health discuss best practices on collecting, evaluating, and transforming data into actionable strategies and how hospitals and health systems can implement data-driven quality and performance improvement strategies to positively impact maternal health outcomes.

The Health Resources and Services Administration announced its toll-free number (1-833-TLC-MAMA) and promotional toolkit are available in advance of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, May 5-11.