According to officials, the new recommendations will improve maternal care in Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas – The governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, received a report from the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, which suggested policies and initiatives to enhance maternal health in the Natural State, according to a joint announcement from the ADH and DHS.

On March 6, 2024, Sanders signed the Executive Order to Support Moms, Protect Babies, and Improve Maternal Health, formally establishing the Committee and initiating the reform process.
Since then, numerous organizations and hundreds of stakeholders from throughout the state have convened to formulate the recommendation outlined in the study.

The plan, according to DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam, is the first step in improving mother health.
Putnam expressed gratitude to all of the partners that joined forces to examine current barriers to maternal and postpartum care in the state and to unite on a set of significant improvements that would truly benefit the people of the state.”We know these changes have the potential to save lives and improve the health of countless women and babies, so we will implement them as soon as possible.”

Renee Mallory, the secretary of health for Arkansas, says the committee put a lot of effort into developing its suggestion.

Mallory remarked, “We are proud to present these strategies and recommendations today.””Many meetings and listening sessions with stakeholders throughout the state produced this study. Although this vital work has already started, we are eager to carry out further initiatives to enhance the health and wellbeing of Arkansas’s mothers and infants.

The Committee is organized into four subcommittees, each of which offers a suggestion related to its particular area.

Among the four subgroups are:

• Data, Reporting, and Technology
• Education and Outreach
• Clinical and Practice Improvements
• Health Care Access and Medicaid

According to State Medicaid Director Janet Mann and DHS Deputy Secretary of Programs, the recommendation will have a significant impact on maternal health.

More than half of pregnancies in our state are covered by Medicaid, so it’s imperative that we streamline the system to make treatment accessible and encouraged before, during, and after delivery, according to Mann.”By implementing these recommendations, significant barriers will be removed, care will be improved, and health outcomes will improve.”

The report makes several recommendations, such as creating a dashboard with important maternal health indicators, assessing Medicaid reimbursement rates, establishing presumptive eligibility for pregnant Medicaid-eligible women, establishing a pathway for Medicaid provider types and reimbursements for community health workers and doulas, increasing the number of obstetrics and gynecology residencies in Arkansas, and creating a campaign for maternal health education and awareness.