Equipping the South for Maternal and Child Health
SAPHL empowers public health advocates and trusted community leaders with the evidence and tools needed to drive policy change. To improve birth outcomes and support thriving families, we must address substantive regional barriers through targeted, local interventions.
Direction
Our strategy centers on supporting local maternal and child health coalitions. Through our defined action areas, we focus on targeted policies to eliminate barriers to holistic, continuous care for moms and babies.
Our action areas
Expanding access and workforce
The Challenge: Rural and underserved communities face growing maternity care deserts, exacerbated by severe shortages in providers like OB/GYNs, midwives, and doulas.
The Intervention: Expand community-supported and community-embedded telehealth and mobile care units while funding workforce development to diversify the care team and support alternative models.
The Result: A robust, culturally congruent maternal health workforce that ensures frictionless access to prenatal and postpartum care, regardless of geographic location.
Addressing social drivers
The Challenge: Fragmented systems leave social drivers—like housing, nutrition, and transportation—unaddressed.
The Intervention: Integrate care coordination models and fund community health workers to bridge clinical and social supports.
The Result: Comprehensive, holistic support networks that directly improve birth outcomes and family stability.
Addressing coverage barriers
The Challenge: Coverage gaps and complex enrollment processes leave families uninsured during the vulnerable postpartum year.
The Intervention: Advocate for continuous Medicaid coverage and streamline multi-program enrollment for moms and babies.
The Result: Uninterrupted, reliable health coverage that protects the physical and financial health of growing families.
Insights
Local data makes abstract regional problems concrete. Use the map below to explore county-level evidence that supports your specific MCH policy and implementation recommendations.
County strategy statement
Connections
Building stronger maternal and child health systems requires collaboration. Join the SAPHL Network to connect with local advocates, providers, and experts across the region. Each state meets monthly and provides a space for collaboration and sharing around MCH issues across your state.
Upcoming meetings
- First Tuesdays — North Carolina branch meeting
- First Thursdays — Georgia branch meeting
- Second Mondays — Alabama branch meeting
- Fourth Wednesdays — Tennessee branch meeting
- Fourth Thursdays — South Carolina branch meeting
Skills
Information alone isn't enough. Transform evidence into action by developing the advocacy and communication skills necessary to secure resources for moms and babies in your communities.