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Preconception Health and Health Care Update
Greetings
This is a bi-monthly communication for individuals interested in improving the health of women and infants through preconception health and health care. We welcome your readership and contributions.This e-newsletter is archived. Find back issues of this e-enewsletter and more information about improving preconception health and health care at www.beforeandbeyond.org |
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New Preconception Health and Health Care Resource Center Seeks Abstracts on Programs and Policy
The Preconception Health and Health Care Resource Center will provide a centralized location for information, ideas, and tools useful to state and local health departments, health professionals, and researchers. The Resource Center will be organized to help users identify best practices for advancing and promoting preconception health.
Does your health department have an exemplary policy or program related to preconception health? If yes, please share it!
The first wave of abstract solicitation ends February 28, 2012. Click here to download a PDF version of the abstract solicitation.
Following two years of effort by a development team with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disability (CDC-NCBDDD), the Resource Center will soon go live. The development team included: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP), Alameda County Public Health Department, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), CityMatCH, and National Association of City and County Health (NACCHO), National Preconception Health and Health Care (PCHHC) Initiative, and Center for Maternal and Child Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. |
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MCH Library Releases Knowledge Path on Preconception and Pregnancy
The MCH Library at Georgetown University has released a new knowledge path on Preconception and Pregnancy. Part of a series, this new knowledge path guides users to a selection of current, high-quality resources that analyze data, describe effective programs, and report on policy and research. A set of resources for families and a set for professionals are available. For professionals, information and links related to research, policy, and programs. Readers also can link to related MCH Library resources for guides about childbirth, fertility, nutrition during preconception and pregnancy, and more. To view the knowledge path, click here.
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| Strong Start Initiative to Reduce Preterm Births and Improve Outcomes for Women and Infants
The Strong Start initiative was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on February 8. The initiative brings together activities of several federal agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Administration on Children and Families (ACF), CDC, and National Institutes of Health. The partnership also includes private organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Childbirth Connections, March of Dimes, and National Partnership for Women and Families.
As one of the two key components of the Strong Start initiative, the CMS, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CCMI), released a funding oportunity announcement to test and evaluate the effect of enhanced prenatal care on decreasing prematurity/preterm births. The grant funding will test three approaches: group prenatal care, comprehensive prenatal care facilitated by teams, and enhanced prenatal care including psychosocial support, education, and health promotion.
Important Deadlines
- Letter of Intent: March 21, 2012, by 5:00 pm EST
- Applications are due: June 13, 2012, by 5:00 pm EST
- Anticipated Award Date: September 10, 2012
The intent of this grant component of the initiative is to test prenatal care models and develop innovations that improve care, improve health, and lower costs for Medicaid beneficiaries who are pregnant and at-risk for preterm births. Eligible grant applicants must have the capacity to serve at least 500 pregnant Medicaid beneficiareies considered at-risk for a preterm birth each year. Categories of applicants include:
- Providers of obstetric care
- State Medicaid agencies
- Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs)
- Conveners in partnership (e.g., states, provider associations, other health services related organizations).
Through a competitive process, CMS/CMMI will award a set of renewable, one-year cooperative agreements to applicant. Up to $43 million will be available for the Strong Start initiative. The intent is to fund the cost of additional, enhanced prenatal services for approximately 30,000 pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries in each category, for a total of 90,000 women in total over three years.
The second component of the Strong Start initiative will be a test of a nationwide public-private partnership and awareness campaign to spread the adoption of best practices taht can reduce the rate of early elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks gestation. |
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