RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Glenn Youngkin announced several investments the state will make to advance maternal health -- from prenatal to postpartum services -- at an event in Richmond on Tuesday. The initiatives hope to target three pillars: improving data, expanding care and increasing awareness.
“When we started on our journey, we knew that we needed to approach the problem in a new way, our overall guiding principle was this: We will see every mother and work collectively to provide the care she needs to deliver a healthy, thriving baby,” Youngkin said. “Today, we are going further on all three of our key pillars to ensure mothers have the resources they need during pregnancy, during birth, and postpartum.”
According to the governor's office, the new initiatives add on to the nearly $500 million allocated annually to maternal services in the state.
Youngkin announced two proposed legislative efforts. The first would require all hospitals and emergency departments to "participate in quality improvement initiatives and all emergency services have adequate provisions and protocols, known as 'safety bundles,' to care for obstetric patients, recognizing urgent maternal warning signs including cardiac conditions."
The second would allow midwives from out of state to obtain a license in Virginia, which is currently not something that is possible, provided their qualifications are up to an equivalent standard.
Youngkin also issued an executive directive that directs the Virginia Department of Health to add to the Maternal and Child Health Data Dashboard so that it includes data on "pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related mortality and causes," and to create a central website on maternal health that will contain essential resources all in one location. These improvements will be funded by $1 million of existing Transformation Office funds.
Additionally, the directive asks the Department of Medicaid to create a work group that ensures all Medicaid patients receive appropriate prenatal, delivery and postpartum care under the plan.
As for budget amendments, Youngkin proposed an additional $4 million to go to several maternal health programs in the state:
- $2.5 million to fund perinatal health hub pilot programs in underserved areas, with three pilot locations established with at least one in a rural location.
- $1 million to provide additional support to doulas and community health workers
- $500,000 to raise awareness around postpartum depression and improve screenings around behavioral health and substance-use disorders, including preeclampsia prevention with the initiative "Ask About Aspirin"
- Increase payments for psychiatric and OB-GYN graduate medical residencies in order to expand residency slots, increasing to $150,000 annually from $100,000
“Every mother deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing she and her baby are receiving the best possible care,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet Kelly in the announcement. “Our key pillars and announcements by the governor today are about making sure that when someone reaches out for help, they find it, whether it’s through a trained doula, a community health worker, or their respective healthcare provider who can help guide them before, during and after pregnancy.”