A Week to Celebrate, Connect and Take Action for Better Health for Mothers and Babies
Every mother and baby deserves the opportunity for a healthy start. Hospitals and health systems help make that possible by providing care throughout pregnancy and childhood, delivering lifesaving services and partnering with communities to help families thrive.
From Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, the American Hospital Association will honor Better Health for Mothers and Babies Awareness. The campaign will recognize the people, partnerships and innovations supporting better maternal and child health outcomes.
Throughout the week, the AHA will share hospital and health system stories, resources and promising practices related to maternal health, neonatal and pediatric care, workforce development, public policy, innovation and community partnerships. Together, these resources will demonstrate how the field responds to complex challenges and creates healthier futures for mothers, babies, children and families.
The campaign will recognize the many people who make this work possible — nurses, physicians, midwives, specialists, community health workers, doulas, emergency and behavioral health professionals, hospital leaders, policymakers, community organizations, patients and families.
What to Expect and How to Participate
Each day will offer opportunities to celebrate progress, exchange ideas and help awareness become action. Here’s what we’ll share throughout the week and how you can participate:
Sept. 28: Join the campaign. Help launch the week by utilizing these social media posts and graphics. Share how your hospital or health system is improving maternal and child health, recognize the people leading this work and invite your community partners to join the conversation.
Register for the AHA’s webinar Built for Kids: Innovations in Pediatric Behavioral Healthcare to be held Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. ET. Attendees will learn how hospitals are designing behavioral healthcare around the distinct needs of children and families.
Sept. 29: Celebrate advances in maternal health. Recognize the care teams, programs and partnerships supporting mothers before, during and after pregnancy. Through Frontiers, an AHA Advancing Health podcast series, we will share stories of hospitals working to keep rural maternal care close to home. We will also share data and resources on cardiovascular health during pregnancy, multidisciplinary care and perinatal mental health, along with ways to engage mothers, fathers and communities.
Sept. 30: Honor NICU care teams and families. On NICU Awareness Day, celebrate the clinicians and staff who care for newborns and support families during some of their most challenging moments. Share photos, stories and programs that highlight the full continuum of neonatal care and demonstrate how your organization supports NICU babies, families and care teams.
The AHA will feature stories about a NICU literacy program and the use of simulation training to prepare rural maternal and neonatal care teams for obstetric emergencies.
Oct. 1: Support the future of children’s health. Discover how hospitals and health systems are strengthening pediatric care and helping children thrive. The AHA will highlight innovations and programs supporting children and adolescents, including those with complex medical needs and behavioral health conditions.
Oct. 2: Turn awareness into action. Use AHA resources and a discussion guide to begin conversations on the policy, workforce and community strategies needed to improve maternal health outcomes. Learn approaches to securing and sustaining grant-funded programs in the maternal and child health space and explore opportunities in building the rural maternal health workforce.
Be a Part of the Celebration
The Better Health for Mothers and Babies Awareness Week is a time to celebrate progress, listen to patients and families, elevate the work happening in communities and renew our commitment to the work ahead.
Hospitals and health systems can participate by sharing campaign messages and graphics, highlighting local programs and partnerships, recognizing care teams, elevating patient and family voices, and using AHA resources to spark conversations within their organizations and communities.
Join us Sept. 28-Oct. 2 as we learn from one another, build on what works and advance better health for every mother and every baby.