Arkansas will receive $10 million for maternal health
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A nonprofit c0-founded by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art chairperson Olivia Walton will give $10 million to improve maternal health in Arkansas.
Why it matters: The state has some of the nation's worst outcomes, including high mortality rates, for new moms and babies.
Driving the news: Walton announced Healthy Moms Healthy Babies America's plan to give $10 million to Arkansas and $10 million to Kentucky late last week at Bentonville nonprofit Heartland Forward's Heartland Summit.
- A few weeks ago, she and her husband Tom Walton, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, announced their pledge to contribute $100 million over five years with the goal of cutting U.S. maternal deaths in half.
- The Healthy Moms Healthy Babies America nonprofit was created this year by Olivia Walton and nurse midwife Cara Osborne, according to a news release.
State of play: The nonprofit plans to work with Arkansas and Kentucky to develop, implement and evaluate sustainable models of care that can be replicated across the country, according to a news release. The money will support state-led efforts to:
- Expand the availability of midwives, doulas, community health workers and other maternal health professionals
- Strengthen maternal health data and quality improvement efforts through systems like the Health and Human Services Perinatal Improvement Collaborative
- Increase access to home visiting services during pregnancy and postpartum
- Expand postpartum care and support, including mental health services