HAP's Latest News

This year, HAP released an action plan for Pennsylvania hospitals and policymakers to improve maternal health quality, equity, and access. Ahead of our inaugural maternal health summit, we’re spotlighting promising practices and innovations that Pennsylvania hospitals have implemented to improve care for moms and babies.

This year, HAP released an action plan for Pennsylvania hospitals and policymakers to improve maternal health quality, equity, and access. Ahead of our inaugural maternal health summit, we’re spotlighting promising practices and innovations that Pennsylvania hospitals have implemented to improve care for moms and babies.

Healthy outcomes for mothers, particularly in rural settings, are often a matter of collaboration, according to Rebecca Couch, RN, inpatient nursing operations manager of labor and delivery for Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. With that in mind, Gesinger Medical Center and Geisinger Lewistown Hospital launched a program aimed at improving maternal care in their communities by strengthening relationships with midwives and other community-based birth workers.

It’s clear that mothers benefit from obstetric care but hospital-based services, particularly in rural areas, are getting harder to find, according to a study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

The mental health of mothers in the U.S. is declining, according to a new seven-year study of self-reported physical and mental health released by JAMA Internal Medicine. 

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital received the Excellence in Care Award for advancing perinatal mental health access among vulnerable populations by streamlining systems and integrating technology.

The House Health Committee today advanced HAP-supported legislation to require Medicaid coverage for home-use blood pressure monitors on a per-pregnancy basis.

The tug of war between potential cost savings via cuts and preserving Medicaid reveal ramifications to maternal health. A new report by The Commonwealth Fund finds that cuts would erode maternal health access, quality, and equity and leave providers at risk of closure.

State leaders recently announced the launch of a new survey to identify challenges and questions women have about their health insurance benefits.

More than 100 rural hospitals nationwide have stopped (or have announced plans to stop) delivering babies since 2020, according to new data from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR).

Black Maternal Health Week is April 11 through 17, emphasizing the importance of community-driven change, self-advocacy, and efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes.