ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Maternal health is an important part of healthcare and recently, the State of Kansas took some action to help with just that.
Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Kansas has been selected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as one of 15 states to participate in its Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model program, which includes a $17 million grant award over the next 10 years. The goal of the TMaH Model is to improve maternal and child health care for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) members, according to a release from the State of Kansas.
“It is a tremendous honor for Kansas to be selected for this important program,” Gov. Kelly noted in the State of Kansas release. “This funding provides the resources necessary for us to continue to grow and increase access to maternal health care to underserved Kansans throughout the state. The TMaH selection will enhance the work the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has initiated through its Kansas Medicaid and Maternal and Child Health programs to improve maternal health outcomes for members.”
“We have made great strides towards improving maternal health in Kansas through Medicaid and our Maternal Child Health Program,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek noted in the State of Kansas release. “This grant positions us to take on the important work outlined in the pillars of the TMaH Model. The TMaH model will support KDHE in the development of a whole-person approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care.”
The goal of the model is to reduce disparities in access and treatment, a key focus of the KanCare 3.0 contracts which took effect Jan. 1, the State of Kansas release continued.
“The TMaH Model provides Kansas Medicaid with the funding and support necessary to improve maternal and child health outcomes,” Christine Osterlund, KDHE Deputy Secretary of Agency Integration and Kansas Medicaid Director, noted in the State of Kansas release. “Through stakeholder input and support, especially from our partners at the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Kansas submitted a strong and ultimately successful grant application with a clear vision for the program. The model is centered on three pillars, which include access to care, infrastructure and workforce capacity, quality improvement and safety, and whole-person care delivery.”
The grant will allow KDHE to build upon its work in the following:
• Hospital Engagement for Birthing-Friendly Designation: KDHE, in collaboration with the Kansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, and other partners, is recruiting and educating facilities to achieve CMS’s birthing-friendly designation status. TMaH will align with these key public health initiatives to further address barriers and increase quality services and patient safety.
• Whole-Person Care: KDHE’s Kansas Connecting Communities and Maternal Anti-Violence Innovation and Sharing programs will be pivotal in enhancing the patient education and universal screening components of the TMaH model. These programs offer provider consultation, training, and technical assistance for perinatal mental health, substance use, and intimate partner violence. Resources will be scaled to ensure the behavioral health and social determinants of the health needs of all patients.
• Telehealth and Telemonitoring Prioritization: TMaH will enhance telehealth services to overcome geographic barriers, improving access to specialists and reducing travel. KDHE will implement robust telemonitoring for hypertension and gestational diabetes and collaborate on a State Plan Amendment to expand covered services under Medicaid.
• Home Visiting Program Expansion: The TMaH payment model will make home visiting sustainable by addressing funding gaps. KDHE’s strength-based approach improves outcomes in pregnancy, parenting, and early childhood health while TMaH funding expands reach and quality.
The funding will support Kansas’ efforts to address disparities among underserved populations at higher risk for poor maternal outcomes. More information on the program is available at https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/transforming-maternal-health-tmah-model.
Wednesday’s announcement comes after the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a new nationwide campaign in November to raise public awareness of the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (1-833-TLC-MAMA). The news was praised by multiple leaders.
“While mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, more than 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the November HHS release noted. “As part of the campaign, HHS will collaborate with companies and organizations such as retailers, grocers, pharmacies, and health and community associations to publicize mental health resources for moms and pregnant women in everyday locations. The first six Maternal Mental Health Champions announced Thursday have thousands of locations and a broad presence in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. HRSA Deputy Administrator Jordan Grossman announced this campaign in conjunction with HRSA’s latest state Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative convening in Portland, Ore.”
“Becoming a parent is an incredible and life-changing event, but it comes with its own challenges too. As a parent, husband to an OB-GYN, and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, I know we can and must do more to support maternal mental health,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra noted in the November HHS release. “In just two years, we’ve seen how the Maternal Mental Health Hotline has been a positive and productive resource for thousands of new parents. Today we’re building on those efforts through a targeted campaign to reach even more moms and let them know there is help and support during even the hardest of times.”
The National Maternal Health Hotline, a free confidential service that offers 24/7 support from trained counselors via call and text in English, Spanish, and translation services in over 60 languages, was launched Mother’s Day in 2022 as part of the broader efforts to combat maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity.
“The professional counselors who answer Hotline calls and texts include licensed health care professionals, certified educators, and specialists. Counselors listen to callers’ needs and provide support directly, connect callers with local support groups and organizations, and/or refer callers to other health care professionals when more care is needed,” the November HHS release noted. “The new Maternal Mental Health Champions campaign will expand awareness of this important resource for mothers, pregnant women, and their families through specific commitments to promote the Hotline in Champions’ locations or sites across the country – for example by displaying the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline’s promotional materials in prominent locations for their patients or customers. Maternal Mental Health Champions may include retailers, grocers, pharmacies, health and community associations, and other organizations and leaders that make significant commitments in coordination with HRSA to promoting the Hotline to their customers, patients, or users.”
