Davids Announces Federal Grants to Improve Maternal Health in Kansas
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Kansas with more than $2.4 million to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities for patients at the highest risk. Davids has previously led legislation to address America's worsening maternal mortality crisis through increased health research and data collection. The awards benefit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC).
The United States is the only industrialized country with an increasing maternal mortality rate, and the crisis is most severe for people of color. Black mothers are dying at 3 to 4 times the rate of their white counterparts, and Native Americans are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. According to NurtureKC, this trend holds true for Kansas. Wyandotte County in particular has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the state at 83.5 deaths per 10,000 live births.
"The U.S. is falling desperately short on maternal health, with mothers from disadvantaged backgrounds being impacted the most," said Davids. "The grants I’m announcing today represent steps to address that crisis, helping to ensure healthier pregnancies and postpartum outcomes for all Kansas mothers. I’m glad I could bring these investments home, where they’ll be smartly used by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and University of Kansas Medical Center.”
The investments announced today support maternal health care through local health centers and other HRSA-supported programs carried out by states, community-based organizations, and training programs, such as:
- State Maternal Health Innovation Program: $1,170,233 for KDHE
- Establishes a maternal health task force to improve the collection and use of state-level data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity.
- Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders: $750,000 for KDHE
- Provides training for OB/GYNs, Certified Nurse Midwives, and other maternal care providers to support the mental health needs of their patients.
- Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion (MatCare) Training Program: $309,258 for KUMC
- Trains nurse midwives through trainee scholarships, stipends, curriculum enhancement, and community-based training.
- Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) State Capacity: $200,000 for KDHE
- Supports safe maternal care to reduce severe maternal illness and deaths in hospitals and birthing centers.
“Through this funding we will be able to take bold steps to save lives and work with health centers around our state to assist them in tailoring their response to the needs of Kansas women,” said Secretary Janet Stanek, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. “These grants help ensure healthier pregnancy and postpartum outcomes in our state. Thank you to Rep. Davids for her continued work in ensuring that Kansans can have safe and healthy pregnancy.”
“Federal grants like this one, which provides robust scholarships for full-time nurse-midwifery students seeking their Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, are an essential part of addressing our critical nursing workforce shortage,” said Sally L Maliski, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean, University of Kansas School of Nursing. “We appreciate Congresswoman Davids’ support and promotion of our nurse educators as we seek innovative ways to improve nursing education access.”
Davids believes everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care and has worked to improve health outcomes and lower health care costs for Kansas families. She voted to allow Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices and to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. She also worked across the aisle to pass a bipartisan law that eliminates surprise medical billing and supported legislation to expand mental health services, especially in schools and rural areas.
In total, HRSA awarded more than $91 million in awards to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal and infant health, particularly in underserved communities. Federal funding for these grants was authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which Davids voted to support in 2022.