Happening this Week: A Focus on Maternal Health

January 29, 2025

The Shapiro administration this week hosted events with Pennsylvania hospital leaders focused on improving the state’s maternal health.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Department of Health leaders joined UPMC and local organizations at the department’s State Health Center in Lock Haven to launch a new pilot project dedicated to improving care for pregnant women and babies in Clinton County.

The organizations are partnering with other local groups on a $1.3 million pilot project to develop a model for providing a variety of physical, mental, emotional, and social health resources for women in regions with limited access to pre- and post-pregnancy care.

“We are grateful to be able to partner with the state in support of this pilot program,” said UPMC in North Central Pennsylvania President Patti Jackson-Gehris in a statement. “Today's event is just the beginning of a larger, ongoing dialogue aimed at developing sustainable solutions to ensure every woman has access to the care she deserves.

On Monday, state officials from the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs visited Penn State Health Children’s Hospital to highlight efforts to improve care for pregnant women and babies through four regional maternal health coalitions.

The four coalitions look to implement recommendations from the 2024 Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee report to improve health outcomes for mothers and babies. Each coalition will receive $300,000 annually through June 2027, with the possibility of an additional two-year renewal.

“Our coalition is committed to being a driving force for positive change in maternal health,” said Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine Dr. Kristin Sznajder in a statement. “By connecting academic research, clinical care and community-based solutions, we are creating a model for improving maternal health equity here in Central Pennsylvania”

With this new investment, the coalitions will collect and analyze data in their areas to determine what local factors are contributing to maternal mortality and morbidity, and to improve health care services for women and babies in their respective regions, state officials said.

Additional information about the events on the regional coalitions and the new pilot project is available online.

Also on Monday, the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus and the Black Maternal Health Caucus hosted an event in Harrisburg to lay out their legislative priorities for the 2025-2026 session. Additional information is available online.

Ensuring access to high-quality and equitable maternal health care requires strong collaboration between the health care community, government, community organizations, patients and families, and other stakeholders. Learn more about steps to improve maternal health in HAP’s new action plan.