Wayne State University’s Wayne Mobile Health Unit is partnering with Meridian in Michigan, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, to address maternal and infant health disparities in Detroit and across Michigan. The $1.1 million grant from the Centene Foundation will fund the deployment of mobile vans to provide preventive health services to pregnant women in metropolitan Detroit.
Black women in Michigan are 2.8 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, with a maternal mortality rate of 29.8 per 100,000 live births. To combat these alarming statistics, the Wayne Mobile Health Unit will use geospatial analysis to identify neighborhoods in Detroit for targeted outreach. This initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality rates and improve overall maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly among Black and Hispanic women.
Phillip Levy, M.D., M.P.H., associate vice president for Translational Science at Wayne State University, expressed gratitude for the Centene Foundation’s support and emphasized the importance of expanding outreach efforts into the realm of maternal health. The program will not only provide follow-up care for pregnant women but also offer routine social determinant of health screenings and community health worker services to ensure continuity of care.
This initiative builds on the Wayne Mobile Health Unit’s success during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects a commitment to addressing long-standing health disparities in urban and rural communities. The partnership between Meridian and Wayne Mobile Health Unit will work to create novel billing codes for direct access to preventive screening and care management.
The historic disparity in maternal health outcomes for Black and Hispanic women reflects systemic inequities and discrimination that have persisted for decades. This collaborative effort represents a step towards addressing these disparities and providing tangible solutions for improving the overall health and well-being of communities across Michigan.
Through targeted outreach and community partnerships, the Wayne Mobile Health Unit and Meridian are dedicated to positively impacting maternal and infant health outcomes in Detroit and beyond. The program’s focus on proactive outreach and collaborative care efforts demonstrates a commitment to addressing deep-rooted health disparities and providing equitable access to preventive health services for all women, regardless of their insurance status.
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