Prisma Health has been awarded $1.6 million from The Duke Endowment (TDE) to participate in the Maternal Infant Health (MIH) Carolinas initiative, a multiyear effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes across North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as strengthen care coordination and advance health equity.
H.E.A.R. (Healing, Equity, Advocacy, and Respect) 4 Mamas and Babies (H4MAB) is a text and phone-based screening and referral program developed at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to identify medical, behavioral health and social needs early in pregnancy and throughout the postpartum year.
“With our recent expansion of much-needed services in Lexington County and across the Upstate region, this opportunity could not come at a better time,” Kim Alston, director of Prisma’s Healthy Start said. “We are honored to be selected as a partner by The Duke Endowment for an effort that takes direct aim at improving maternal and infant health in areas where morbidity and mortality numbers are well above national averages. This program has shown how thoughtful collaboration can build trust for timely accessible care that strengthens families and communities.”
The model proactively connects participants to timely, trusted services and has demonstrated significant improvements in the detection and treatment of mental health conditions, including maternal depression and anxiety as well as substance use disorders, chronic health conditions, intimate partner violence and unmet social determinants of health needs.
TDE’s investment will support the awarded sites in planning and implementing H4MAB. This includes participation in a peer learning community and access to a comprehensive Technical Assistance and Training Center led by MUSC in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The center provides training, technology, cross-site evaluation and data resources along with ongoing technical assistance to strengthen implementation. It will also collaborate with state agencies, Medicaid programs, and private payers to explore long-term reimbursement pathways for program sustainability.
Prisma Health is among five health systems TDE selected to form a network aimed at mitigating risk factors that lead to poor maternal and infant health outcomes while ensuring families across the Carolinas receive the timely support, they need to thrive.
Prisma Health will collaborate with local health care providers, public health agencies and community-based organizations to share information about H4MAB and connect families with medical, behavioral health, social support and peer support resources. The H4MAB team will also convene a community advisory board to provide feedback, identify resource gaps and ensure that implementation reflects local context and community experience.
“We are thrilled to launch this initiative in partnership with MUSC, UNC-Chapel Hill and five health systems,” Jay Kennedy, senior program officer with The Duke Endowment’s Health Care program area said. “Our aim is to work together to replicate and scale this program in hopes of improving health outcomes for more women and infants across the Carolinas.”