Strengthening maternal health and patient-provider relationships

For new mothers and their babies, one of the best ways to stay healthy and reduce the risk of complications is to receive prenatal and postpartum care.¹ But in maternity care deserts,² where there is a lack of providers, hospitals or resources, this care is not always available or attainable.  

In Missouri’s Bootheel region, maternal care can be difficult to access and hard to navigate during pregnancy and postpartum care. To help improve maternal health outcomes, as well as the relationships between families and providers, UnitedHealthcare funded a $250,000 collaboration with the Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium (MBRC).

MBRC is a community‑based organization providing outreach, training and resources to improve health outcomes across Missouri’s Bootheel region. As the primary collaborator on this initiative, MBRC helps identify local maternal health needs through direct community engagement and works to ensure solutions reflect the experiences of mothers and families in the region.

“Being able to see a doctor during pregnancy and postpartum is essential for keeping moms and babies healthy, yet many families in the Bootheel lack that access,” said Jamie Bruce, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Missouri.

The National Institute for Children’s Health Quality™ (NICHQ™), a national nonprofit organization focused on improving maternal and child health outcomes, is also collaborating on the project. NICHQ brings expertise in community engagement, maternal health, quality improvement and systems change to support local partners in translating community insight into effective, evidence‑informed approaches to strengthen maternal care.

This investment is one part of a multi-layered strategy to address community health needs in rural Missouri focused on:

• Enhancing support for expectant mothers: Expanding care navigation and service access to help mothers engage earlier in their care journey and receive community-based support.
• Provider training and education: Collaborating with provider partners to introduce training to help strengthen provider–patient relationships and address concerns identified by community members.
• Ongoing community engagement: Establishing structured dialogue sessions, partnership development and continuous feedback loops to ensure solutions remain grounded in lived experience.

“Through community listening sessions with local residents and providers, we heard directly how these gaps affect families,” Jamie said. “This investment aims to address those needs, including access to care and navigation support, and strengthen the connections between families and their care teams.”