State Begins Rollout Of Inititative To Help Pregnant Women

Health leaders are raising awareness about a new initiative to tackle Indiana's high infant and maternal mortality rates. The state launched a public awareness campaign this week.

The Indiana State Department of Health, Department of Child Services, and Family and Social Services Administration are joining together to launch OB Navigators. In 2019, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation to create the initiative that will work to provide wraparound services to pregnant women.

The program will connect newly pregnant women with someone to guide them throughout pregnancy and up to one year after giving birth. The OB navigator will make home visits, connect moms with local resources, and help with transportation.

As a first step, agencies are hosting public meetings to answer questions about the program. A full list of the public events is available here.

At launch, the initiative will only serve mothers who receive Medicaid support - they account for more than half of all Indiana births.

The Indiana State Department of Health plans to roll out the program in 20 high-risk counties in early 2020.