New Arkansas non-profit working to advance maternal health care
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A newly formed Arkansas non-profit is focused on improving the state’s approach to maternal health care.
The group is named Arkansans for Improved Maternal Health, or AIM, and points to Arkansas having the highest infant mortality rate in the nation as justification for its mission.
Health Experts talk about disparities in Arkansas maternal mortality rates
AIM is asking parents to share their personal health care experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. Organizers want to hear about such things as prenatal care, safe delivery and postpartum support, such as mental health care, using the group’s online portal.
The stories will be amplified to raise public awareness of maternal healthcare, AIM organizers said, which will hopefully spur action to improve maternal health care overall.
Three specific improvement goals of AIM are improving reimbursements for doctors and midwives delivering babies, extending postpartum insurance coverage from 60 days to one year and increasing the number of OB/GYNs and care providers through increased workforce training.
AIM officials point to March of Dimes research showing 45.3% of Arkansas counties are defined as maternity care deserts and nearly half of the state’s 75 counties do not have a single obstetric provider. Families, especially those in rural areas, also struggle to find hospitals to safely deliver their infants, officials said.
AIM Executive Director Ashley Bearden Campbell said the group is working to move beyond statistics.
“Statistics are compelling, but thousands of families have stories about how poor maternal healthcare, including care after birth, set them on the wrong path at a moment when their family’s future should have felt so full of possibility,” she said. “Our goal is to share the stories behind the numbers.”
Bearden Campbell has her own history with maternal health care.
In May of 2022, she delivered her daughter, Aubrey, via emergency cesarean at 28 weeks and 5 days. Aubrey weighed 2 pounds, 4 ounces, and had numerous health complications. An NICU nurse recognized signs of postpartum depression, anxiety and PTSD Bearden Campbell was experiencing and recommended mental health services.
This experience led to Bearden Campbell becoming an advocate for maternal health care at local and state levels.
By improving maternal health care, communities will improve, Bearden Campbell said.
“A child’s future starts at home. We know that when moms do not have access to quality healthcare when they are pregnant, children are more likely to suffer over the long term,” she said. “Not getting the right start in life can diminish educational outcomes and even erode our collective public safety. Arkansas must listen to these families in order to ensure a brighter future for our state and all its residents.”
Additional information on AIM and its mission may be found at AIMForArkansas.com.
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