A nonprofit organization founded by philanthropist Olivia Walton has awarded $10 million grants to Arkansas and Kentucky to enhance maternal health in rural communities. The announcement was made Thursday during the Heartland Summit in Bentonville, where Walton was joined by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
The grants, part of the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America initiative, represent the first state-level investments under a $100 million effort to cut maternal mortality rates in the United States by half over the next five years. According to a news release, the funding will support the development and evaluation of sustainable maternal care models that can potentially be applied nationwide.
"Arkansas and Kentucky are already making significant investments in maternal health, and we have an opportunity to build on that momentum," Walton said in the release. "States know their communities best, and we can help bring additional resources, partners, and support to build on what’s already working. We’re proud to start from the Heartland in Arkansas and Kentucky and show what this kind of partnership can make possible."
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America plans to work with both states to expand access to maternity care professionals, including midwives, doulas, and community health workers. The initiative will also increase access to home visitation services, improve postpartum care, and strengthen maternal health data collection efforts.
Maternal healthcare access is a significant challenge in Arkansas and Kentucky. According to the March of Dimes, nearly half of Arkansas’s 75 counties are classified as maternity care deserts. Approximately 78,000 women in Arkansas, ages 15 to 44, live in areas without a birthing hospital or obstetric physician. Kentucky faces similar difficulties, with nearly half of its counties also lacking sufficient maternity care facilities and more than half of rural women living over 30 minutes from the nearest birthing hospital.
Governor Sanders emphasized the importance of proactive maternal health policies. "The best maternal health policy is one that reaches moms before there’s a crisis," Sanders said. "That means putting more providers in communities that need them, strengthening prenatal and postpartum care, and making sure distance isn’t a barrier to getting help."
Governor Beshear also highlighted the potential impact of the funding in bridging gaps in care for expectant and new mothers. "This $10 million commitment will help us build on the progress we’ve made by advancing postpartum and prenatal care for new and expecting mothers," he said. "Now we can make sure moms and babies receive the quality care they deserve, right in their own community."
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America initially announced its $100 million initiative last month. The program marks a concerted effort to address the persistent disparities and challenges in maternal health, particularly in rural and underserved areas.