ANNAPOLIS — The State of Maryland is expanding public health programs involving “child health visits” to pregnant women and “high-risk” families with young children as part of a new $72 million effort aimed at addressing disparities in maternal and child health care.
The state also is launching new efforts aimed at increasing prenatal health screenings, helping moms challenged by postpartum depression and reducing the use of emergency rooms for more routine health care needs.
Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Health announced the $72 million, four-year effort on Tuesday, July 6.
“Maryland’s maternal and child health care transformation is focused on prevention and early intervention,” Hogan said in a statement. “By investing in access to prenatal care, postpartum care and child health visits, we can improve a wide range of outcomes that potentially impact the health of multiple generations of Marylanders.”
The state is creating other new efforts to improve prenatal care, expanding a program to help new moms dealing with opioid use as well as a program to help reduce asthma rates among Black children. The latter initiative also includes home visits by community health officials.
The state efforts look to address maternal and infant mortality and children’s health disparities based on race, ethnicity and class.
“All of this new funding represents a significant investment in improving maternal and child health in our state,” said Health Secretary Dennis Schrader. “This investment will help us address a long-standing history of health disparities for mothers and children within communities that are underserved and need more support.”
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