Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge - Phase 2

Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge - Phase 2

Funder: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Award Amount: $80,000

Program Status: Past award (February 2024)

Overview

CyncHealth, PointClickCare, and Innsena won the second phase of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Racial Equity in Postpartum Care Challenge. The award builds on the collaborative work recognized in Phase 1 (2022) to improve postpartum care for at-risk mothers.

Focus Areas

• Target Population: Black, African American, American Indian, and Alaska Native parents with high-risk conditions
• Program Focus: Improving postpartum care to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality
• Beneficiaries: Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participants
• Key Statistic: More than 80% of postpartum deaths are preventable

Program Expansion (Phase 2)

• Initial Implementation (2022): Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Omaha, Nebraska
• Expansion (2023): Digital solutions expanded to all Nebraska clinics participating in the state's HIE using PointClickCare platform
• Hospital Notifications: Enabled across all Nebraska and Iowa hospitals to alert physicians when they have a postpartum patient in the ED

Key Outcomes (Year 1)

• Nebraska clinicians followed up with 254 women who had emergency visits postpartum
• Conditions addressed included: mental health disorders, hypertension, and other postpartum complications
• Real-time notifications provide physicians with actionable patient data
• Providers can enable follow-up and access to additional services and support

Program Model

The program demonstrates that postpartum care must be:
• An ongoing process
• Tailored to each woman's individual needs
• Supported by real-time, coordinated data sharing
• Accessible across all care settings (clinics, hospitals, emergency departments)

Partners

• CyncHealth - Designated Health Information Exchange for Nebraska and Iowa; connecting over 5 million lives and 1,135+ facilities
• PointClickCare - Leading healthcare technology platform
• Innsena - Health tech consultancy focused on improving care outcomes for underserved communities

Geographic Scope

• Primary: Nebraska
• Secondary: Iowa (hospital notifications)
• Expansion Plan: Model designed to be implemented nationwide

Contact

• Jaime Bland - CEO of CyncHealth
• Britteny Matero - Vice President of Market Access for Innsena
• Email: cynchealth@innsena.com

Additional Resources

• HHS Announcement: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/02/14/hhs-announces-final-phase-winners-challenge-address-racial-equity-postpartum-care.html