On September 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced the award of more than $13 million in grants to 11 organizations for its Healthy Families Community-Based Perinatal Health Initiative (COPHI), aimed at developing innovative models that integrate community-based maternal support services into perinatal systems of care.
Considerable health disparities persist among pregnant and post-partum women. Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic women experience disproportionate share of pregnancy related mortality and morbidity in US. Community-based maternal support services (COMSS) provide social and supportive care that addresses non-medical drivers of health including but not limited to health literacy; pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting education; housing; food insecurity; and medical and non-medical transportation. COMSS are provided during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the post-partum period by trained individuals, such as doulas and community health workers, as well as through emerging digital technology tools. COMSS have been shown to support a continuum of care and improve health outcomes for pregnant and post-partum women by reducing maternal care fragmentation through enhanced care coordination.
| Award Recipients | City | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Foundation Enterprises, Inc. dba Heluna Health | City of Industry | CA* | $1,249,815 |
| The Regents of the University of California, Irvine | Irvine | CA | $1,228,564 |
| Clayton County Health District | Jonesboro | GA | $1,250,000 |
| Boston Public Health Commission | Boston | MA | $1,190,425 |
| Henry Ford Health System | Detroit | MI | $1,230,000 |
| Saint Francis Medical Center | Cape Girardeau | MO | $1,116,106 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Omaha | NE | $1,015,069 |
| The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey** | Trenton | NJ** | $1,250,000 |
| Washington County | Hillsboro | OR | $1,229,998 |
| Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island | Providence | RI | $1,230,119 |
| Bexar County Hospital District DBA University Health | San Antonio | TX | $1,249,903 |
| Total: | $13,240,000 | ||
| *Project implemented in 4 Parishes in Louisiana: Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard. **Project implemented in Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. | |||
Date Last Reviewed: January 2026