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Maternal Health Innovation Program

Program announcements

Maternal Health Statewide Workforce Needs Assessment Funding Opportunity

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Division of Public Health (DPH) announces the availability of funds for the Maternal Health Statewide Workforce Needs Assessment Grant. This funding request will support efforts by Wisconsin DHS and the Maternal Health Innovation program to evaluate the needs of the maternal health workforce in Wisconsin. This funding will work in tandem with other evaluations, assessments and toolkits available at the state level to leverage information already gathered while focusing on specific populations where the workforce needs are not yet identified. The result will be a workforce assessment that outlines various unique and shared needs across the maternal health workforce, including the rural and urban workforce and identify opportunities to leverage existing state and local efforts, along with guidance for future workforce needs.

Program overview

Maternal mortality and morbidity are key indicators of the health status and care received by individuals before, during, and after a pregnancy.

We have room for improvement in overall maternal health outcomes in Wisconsin. The State Maternal Health Innovation Program provides an opportunity to bring together partners to move maternal health forward in the state.

The State Maternal Health Innovation Program will serve as a catalyst to accelerate improvement and identify medical and non-medical causes of maternal mortality and morbidity.

Goals

Goals of this program are to:

  • Establish a state-focused Maternal Health Task Force to create and implement a strategic plan that aligns statewide efforts and incorporates activities outlined in the state’s most recent state Title V needs assessment.
  • Improve state-level maternal health data and surveillance.
  • Promote and execute innovation in maternal health service delivery through addressing critical gaps in direct clinical care, workforce, maternal health data, and partnership and community engagement.
  • Ensure alignment between maternal and child health program efforts while supporting and elevating statewide and local maternal health efforts.

Major milestones

  • Grant awarded October 1, 2023.
  • State Maternal Health Innovation staff hired in February and March 2024.
  • Held quarterly Maternal Health Innovation Task Force meetings in 2024-2025.
  • Awarded 1.4 million dollars to 24 organizations across the state to focus on maternal health care, workforce development and community engagement.
  • 702 people served and 183 facilities connected to implement innovative strategies in maternal health programs (between October 1, 2024-April 30, 2025). .

Contact Maternal Health Innovation staff

Contact State Maternal Health Innovation staff at dhsmhi@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Glossary

 
Last revised October 24, 2025