Improving Maternal Hypertension Control and Cardiovascular Health

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is common during pregnancy, effecting about 5% to 10% of all pregnancies. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to complications for the pregnant person, including transfusions, intensive care stays, and even death, and for the baby, including pre-term birth and low birth weight. Hypertension continues to impact health even decades after delivery.  Hypertension disorders in pregnancy disproportionately effect Black and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals. As the largest public payer of births nationwide,  Medicaid and CHIP programs have a significant role in enhancing systems of care to improve maternal and infant health, reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and support equitable outcomes for all.

CMS is please to launch new Maternal and Infant Health technical assistance opportunities focused on helping states improve maternal hypertension control and cardiovascular health: a content-driven webinar series and an action oriented affinity group. 

During the Maternal Health Summer 2024 Webinar Series, attendees will hear about the challenges of recognizing and managing hypertension before, during, and after pregnancy. Participants will hear from states agencies, federal partners, and subject matter experts about the unique solutions that Medicaid and CHIP programs can put in place to improve maternal health outcomes.  The webinar series will also address maternal mental health and substance use.

The webinars series will begin in May and conclude in August 2024. CMS invites all interested staff from state Medicaid and CHIP agencies, along with their hospital and obstetrical providers, Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans, public health agencies, and other QI partners, to take part in the summer 2024 maternal health webinar series. Register here for one or more of the webinars.

Improving Maternal Hypertension and Cardiovascular Health Affinity Group

Beginning in fall 2024, CMS will convene an affinity group focused on improving maternal hypertension. State teams, led by Medicaid or CHIP program staff, may consider joining this action-oriented affinity group and learn through workshops and one-on-one coaching, and work alongside peers focused on improvement projects in their states.

The affinity group will begin with pre-implementation activities, followed by implementation, and is scheduled to run from October 2024 through June 2026 (21 months):

• Pre-implementation (3 months): State QI staff will focus on understanding the opportunity for improvement in their state. At the end of pre-implementation, state QI staff will have an aim statement, will have identified their QI partners, and developed a strategy to begin their QI initiative.
• Implementation (18 months): State QI staff will work with their QI partners to conduct Plan-Do-Study-Act testing, “learning their way” into strong program and policy change.

States will come together for periodic group-learning sessions focused on skill building, along with workshops focused on peer sharing and content related to maternal hypertension. State QI staff will meet monthly for one-on-one sessions with technical assistance coaches.

States interested in joining the affinity group must complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. When completing the EOI, please indicate which affinity group you are interested in; you may also indicate an interest in more than one. Note: It is not necessary to indicate a specific improvement focus or identify QI partners at this time as project development will be supported during the first 3 months of the affinity group. To learn more about these affinity groups, please attend the Informational Webinar.

Informational Webinar: Overview of the “Addressing Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use” and “Improving Maternal Hypertension Control” Affinity Groups and the Expression-of-Interest Process, September 17, 2024- Video Recording, (slides)

Expression of Interest: to fill out the EOI, click here.

Expression of Interest forms are due by October 4, 2024.

Questions

Please submit your questions to the QI technical assistance mailbox at  MedicaidCHIPQI@cms.hhs.gov.