LITTLE ROCK, AR – August 12, 2026 – The Maternal & Child Health Center for Policy & Practice (MCH CPP) at Heartland Forward, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think-and-do tank, convened more than 50 leaders from both the public and private sector for a quarterly maternal health stakeholder meeting. The session brought together doctors, midwives, doulas, state health officials, legislators, UAMS faculty and hospital leadership to discuss the implementation of Arkansas’ Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act one year after its passage and how stakeholders can continue to collaborate to improve maternal health outcomes. It is the third such meeting that MCH CPP has convened.
“When you bring the right people around the table, you get action. Representatives from both the public and private sectors came together to drive real progress for moms, babies and families in Arkansas,” said Angie Cooper, President of Heartland Forward. “Strong maternal health outcomes are foundational to a competitive economy. You can’t accelerate growth in a community that isn’t healthy. Heartland Forward is committed to advancing practical solutions that improve outcomes, expand opportunity and help families and communities thrive.”
The Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act was signed into law by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in 2025 and introduced presumptive eligibility for immediate prenatal Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers, ensuring access to care is available throughout pregnancy. Now, policymakers, insurers and health care workers are working collaboratively to implement the legislation statewide.
Discussions at the meeting included insights from UAMS maternal health research and Heartland Forward and Health Policy Futures Lab’s Clinically Integrated Network report.
“Nearly all of Arkansas’ maternal deaths are preventable, which means that better outcomes are absolutely within our reach. When we bring hospitals, clinics and communities together, we’re moving closer to a statewide system that reaches every mother, no matter her ZIP code,” said Dr. Nirvana Manning, M.D., Chair and Professor, Department of OB/GYN, UAMS
“Arkansas mothers deserve to feel supported and confident at every stage of their pregnancy, and our health units in all 75 counties are ready to deliver that care. Convenings like this help us connect the dots between state agencies, providers and communities so that no family falls through the cracks. We look forward to continuing this work with our partners to keep improving maternal health across our state,” said Renee Mallory, R.N., Secretary of Health, Arkansas Department of Health
Heartland Forward launched the MCH CPP in May 2025 to improve maternal health outcomes through research, innovative care models, policy leadership and on-the-ground action. Incubated in Arkansas and expanding across the heartland, including the Heartland Health Caucus states—Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee—the MCH CPP leads state level maternal health work by applying the National Governors Association’s nonpartisan playbook, and builds from Heartland Forward’s landmark research report, The Economic Case for Investing in Maternal Health, which makes the case that better maternal health outcomes directly strengthen state economies. In May 2026, Heartland Forward supported the launch of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, a national campaign to cut the U.S. maternal death rate in half in five years.
About Heartland Forward
Heartland Forward is a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank that turns ideas into action for states and local communities. Our mission is to accelerate economic growth, change the narrative about the middle of the country and generate $500 million of economic impact to the heartland by 2030. We do this through applied research, community-driven programs, policy and convenings—focusing on regional competitiveness, talent pipeline and health and wellness.