WASHINGTON — May 12, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), announced a new partnership with Heartland Forward to advance maternal health outcomes and improve care for women and families across the United States. This collaboration supports a shared goal of making the U.S. the safest place in the world to have a baby.

Through this partnership, HHS and Heartland Forward will collaborate on evidence-based initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and strengthen care across the lifespan, including before, during, and after pregnancy. 

The collaboration will support the expansion of the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative (HHS PIC), a nationwide network of hospitals and healthcare teams working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes through measurable, evidence-based practices. Currently spanning more than 220 hospitals, the initiative will broaden its reach to address the full continuum of maternal and child health.

Heartland Forward, a non-profit policy think-and-do tank focused on driving economic growth and stronger communities, established the Maternal and Child Health Center for Policy and Practice (MCH CPP) in 2025. The center focuses on state-led, evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes, particularly in rural and underserved communities, with the goal of cutting U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years.

As part of the MOU, HHS and Heartland Forward will:

• Expand the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative to assess care and outcomes across the full maternal and child health continuum.
• Leverage hospital networks and data systems to identify pregnancy-related risks and improve outcomes.
• Collect and analyze linked data on maternal and infant morbidity and mortality to inform quality improvement efforts.
• Convene national and regional leaders to share best practices and advance policy solutions.