Accompanying Report Details Strategies and Interventions to Advance Equitable Maternity Care and Eliminate Maternal Health Disparities

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 25, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new online resource to advance high-value and equitable maternity care, reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, and eliminate maternal health disparities in the U.S. was launched today. The Maternal Health Hub (Hub) houses a comprehensive library of resources and best practices to advance a culture of health equity and enable a public policy environment that accelerates the adoption of value-based payment strategies and care models. The resource repository is premised on naming and addressing systemic racism, classism, and sexism in the health care system as a critical step toward eliminating health disparities and creating a system that recognizes and honors the preferences of pregnant persons.

The Hub was created with support from The Commonwealth Fund and managed by the Health Care Transformation Task Force (Task Force), a group of leading health care payers, providers, purchasers and patient organizations. It serves as an interactive learning community, in which stakeholders committed to improving maternal health outcomes can submit resources to be featured on the site and participate in virtual forum discussions to share strategies for overcoming barriers to scaling best practices.

The Task Force also published a report, Promoting Equity and Value in Maternity Care, describing why equity must be treated as a central value, on par with other key values such as quality and cost, in any value-based models. Developing and implementing processes and infrastructure to support the delivery of high-value care must be coupled with a health equity framework and an enabling public policy environment in order to achieve meaningful change.

“Value-based payment is a promising mechanism to drive improved maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities, yet the dial has not been moved in a meaningful way,” said Clare Pierce-Wrobel, Senior Director at the Health Care Transformation Task Force. “This dynamic resource will allow maternal health care stakeholders to collaborate and take action to accelerate the adoption of equitable, evidence-based payment and delivery models.”

“The Commonwealth Fund is committed to advancing health equity. Including a health equity framework in value-based care models is a key step to meaningfully transform maternity care in the U.S.” said Laurie Zephyrin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., Vice President, Health Care Delivery System Reform at The Commonwealth Fund. “We are excited to apply this thinking to maternity care and put equity at the center of delivery system models in maternity care.”

To inform this work, the Task Force convened a cross-sector group of maternity care experts to identify strategies to accelerate the dissemination of effective value-based payment and delivery system models that improve maternal health outcomes, eliminate health disparities, and advance health equity. An accompanying blog published by The Commonwealth Fund, Attaining equitable high-value maternity care, provides additional information about the characteristics of high-value maternity care and services.
For more information please visit: https://maternalhealthhub.org/

ABOUT HEALTH CARE TRANSFORMATION TASK FORCE
The Health Care Transformation Task Force is a unique collaboration of patients, payers, providers and purchasers working to lead a sweeping transformation of the health care system. By transitioning to value-based models that support the Triple Aim of better health, better care and lower costs, the Task Force is committed to accelerating the transformation to value in health care. To learn more, visit WWW.HCTTF.ORG.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS
Aetna • agilon health • Aledade • American Academy of Family Physicians • Anthem, Inc. • ApolloMed • Archway Health • Atrius Health • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan • Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina • Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina • Cambia Health Solutions • Clarify Health Solutions • Cleveland Clinic • Community Catalyst • Dignity Health • Doctor on Demand • Evolent Health • Families USA • Geisinger • Heritage Provider Network • HRHCare • Kaiser Permanente • Mark McClellan • MedStar Health • Mental Health America • National Health Law Program • National Partnership for Women & Families • Partners Healthcare • Premier • Sentara Healthcare • Signify Health • Trinity Health • Washington State Health Care Authority • UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH FUND
The Commonwealth Fund is a nonprofit grantmaking foundation that promotes health policy and practice research to create a high-performing health care system particularly for low-income people, the uninsured, and people of color.

Megan Zook
Health Care Transformation Task Force
+1 202-681-7183
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