Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø partners with local organizations to improve maternal care

Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø's Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness (CACHW) is partnering with Community Health Care (CHC), Iowa Black Doula Collective, and Akwaaba QC to improve maternal care in the region. 

The opportunity for CACHW staff and students arose when the Better Health Foundation awarded the CHC a $350,000 Solutions at Scale grant to work with qualified nonprofit organizations to achieve the following maternal and child health goals:

• Improve pregnant women's adherence to the recommended prenatal care schedule. 

• Address the effects of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in pregnancy outcomes.

• Reduce adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight.

CACHW Director Dr. Kimberly Murphy said her center will lead the evaluation of the program.

¡°CACHW conducts research, collects and analyzes data, and provides evidence-informed recommendations to guide program development and project improvement,¡± said Dr. Murphy. ¡°The team of students and staff will design surveys, analyze data and assess outcomes for this project.¡±  

The results will include comprehensive evaluation reports, analysis of program participation and completion, and a sustainability plan informed by both data and community input. Dr. Murphy said the high-impact engaged learning opportunity gives her students a chance to apply the skills they have learned in class to a real-world challenge.

¡°Opportunities like this equip students with a more adaptable and transferable skill set, better preparing them for life beyond graduation,¡± Dr Murphy said. ¡°By applying course concepts in real-world settings, the students develop a deeper and more meaningful connection to the academic content. Additionally, these experiences foster intercultural understanding and strengthen students¡¯ values as they engage with diverse communities and contexts.¡±

The CACHW is currently creating pre- and post- surveys that will be distributed during the next year to pregnant patients, doulas, and all clinicians and providers on the care team. The CACHW also will hire students to analyze the collected data and propose solutions.

Alyssa Klauer, sustainability program manager for the CACHW, said the grant is for two years, and she is looking forward to giving hope to those facing maternal health challenges.

¡°This partnership brings together organizations deeply committed to maternal health in the Quad Cities, and we¡¯re ready to turn data-driven insights into measurable improvements for mothers, children and families across our community,¡± Klauer said.

Analysing research data related to maternal health in the Quad Cities is not a new challenge for the CACHW. In a previous project, the CACHW researched how socioeconomic conditions affect maternal health and, ultimately, infant health in the Quad Cities.

Those survey findings showed a discrepancy in maternal and infant care access among Black and white mothers. Nearly 20% of Black mothers rated the care as ¡°poor,¡± compared to 2.5% of white mothers. The research suggests that Quad Cities women want stronger connections between medical providers and doulas, and better awareness of educational resources, including breastfeeding and parenting classes.

In light of this data, Dr. Murphy believes the Better Health Foundation grant is a valuable investment in evolving resources for pregnant women in the Quad Cities.