Hospitals, health systems win HHS postpartum care equity challenge

The Department of Health and Human Services Feb. 14 named several hospital and health system programs final phase winners in its national competition to improve equity in postpartum care for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Center for Women’s Mental Health at Johns Hopkins; Mammha at Children's National Medical Center; Heart Safe Motherhood Institution at Penn Medicine; Northwell Health in Westchester County, N.Y.; Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La.; and Yale School of Medicine Community Health Care Van Mother Infant Program were recognized for successfully replicating or expanding their programs to address equity in postpartum care, including follow-up care for diabetes, postpartum depression-anxiety, hypertension and/or substance use disorders.

In other news, HHS Feb. 14 updated its Equity Action Plan as part of President Biden’s 2023 executive order to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government.