HJAR May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2026 19 with identified social needs. This proactive approach helps identify and mitigate post- partum complications and connect women with the resources they need. According to Nirvana Manning MD, director of theArkansas Center for Women and Infants’Health, in the first eight months of operations, the Proactive PostpartumCall Center reached out to postpartum patients from seven labor and delivery hospitals, and call center nurses successfully reached and assessed 67% of those patients. Among those patients assessed, 24% presented at least one post-birth warning sign and 63% reported at least one social need. Expansion of Services through theADH Local Health Unit. Since the Healthy Moms, Healthy BabiesAct was passed, ADH’s local health units have expanded services and now offer prenatal services in more than 70% of the local health units in the state, with a focus on areas where services have been limited or unavailable. Services include pregnancy testing, WIC, STI testing and treatment, and women’s health services, including prenatal care. The primary goal is to provide access to care, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Through expanded perinatal services, local health units can connect moms earlier to care and resources that will support them throughout their pregnancy and postpar- tum journey. The local health units have also partnered with other stakeholders to embed CHWs within health units to help women navigate other healthcare and social services. Through the local health units in each county, ADH will continue to conduct annual assessments of local maternity pro- viders to determine whether expanded ser- vices are needed. Expansion of Perinatal Services in Fed- erally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). FQHCs have historically provided limited perinatal care in Arkansas with a focus on providing early prenatal care and then transferring care to obstetrical providers for continued prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care. However, in the past few years, several FQHCs in Arkansas have begun expanding their maternal care and now provide care throughout the perinatal period, including delivery. Expanding perinatal care through FQHCs represents a critical strategy to enhance maternal and infant health outcomes, par- ticularly in underserved communities. FQHCs provide a team-based model of care through an integrative and collaborative approach. Prenatal and postpartum care is provided regardless of patients’ ability to pay. By integrating perinatal services within their existing primary care models, FQHCs can address barriers to access and deliver culturally competent care tailored to the unique needs of rural and underserved pop- ulations. The expansion of perinatal care in FQHCs improves access to essential health services and promotes continuity of care, allowing for better management of preg- nancy-related complications and improved maternal mental health outcomes. Healthy Start, Maternal Life 360, and Home Visiting. Arkansas has focused on increasing perinatal home visiting programs through multiple partners across the state. Over the past two years, there have been notable expansions of Healthy Start and Maternal Life 360. Healthy Start provides home visits, par- enting education, connection to healthcare, and community resources. Healthy Start primarily targets at-risk populations, par- ticularly low-income women and families in areas with high rates of infant mortality. Similarly, Maternal Life 360 provides home visits and educational support on maternal and child health. It aims to assist women with high-risk pregnancies who are covered by Medicaid. In addition to Healthy Start and Mater- nal Life 360, healthcare partners offer other home visiting programs aimed at improv- ing maternal and child health outcomes. Initiatives include Arkansas Better Begin- nings, the Nurse-Family Partnership, Par- ents as Teachers, Arkansas Early Head Start, Family Connects, Follow Baby Back Home, Healthy Families America, HIPPY Arkan- sas, and SafeCare Arkansas. Collectively, these programs work to address the diverse needs of families acrossArkansas, providing essential support that fosters healthier out- comes for both mothers and their children. Research Increased Research and Innovation. Arkansas has also focused on increas- ing maternal health research. One notable research study is “Comparative Evaluation of Telehealth Multicomponent Optimal Model (TelehealthMOM),”which compared the effectiveness of telehealth monitoring and an early telehealth visit in the post- partum period. Another maternal health research study is examining Food is Medi- cine. In this randomized controlled trial known as “Delivering HOPE,” the team is evaluating the effectiveness of providing nutritious foods during pregnancy to reduce excessive gestational weight gain, improve overall diet quality, and reduce pregnancy and delivery complications. In 2025, UAMS received a Biomedical Research Excellence (CoBRE) award to develop the Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Excellence (MaRCH) Center. The overarching goal of the MaRCH Center is to train new researchers and build sustainable infrastructure to increase the research focused on maternal and repro- ductive health in Arkansas. How Healthcare Providers Can Continue to Forge a Path Forward Data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rec- ognized Arkansas as one of six states that made improvements in prenatal care access. The expansion of training programs for doulas and CHWs and the introduc- tion of a Family Medicine Obstetrical Fel- lowship and midwifery programs address critical provider shortages and are con- tinuing to expand access to care, particu- larly in underserved areas. Furthermore, the development of the postpartum call center and the integration of perinatal ser- vices in FQHCs emphasize Arkansas’ com- mitment to improving maternal health for