About the Project

The United States currently has the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity (3M) in the developed world. More than half of all maternal deaths and serious morbidities are preventable. Despite relative national wealth, significant racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities contribute substantially to overall poor maternal health outcomes in the United States. A community-based, life course approach to addressing health disparities in vulnerable populations is fundamental to identifying and implementing sustainable approaches to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity for women carrying the disproportionate burden of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Engage organizations, networks and researchers that are firmly connected to and imbedded in communities with high levels of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Provide funding for community informed implementation studies of evidence based interventions known to improve health and outcomes for women of reproductive age.

Through the MH-CIP, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is supporting four community coalitions, comprised of research organizations and community partners, to engage communities and pilot test the implementation of proven interventions in vulnerable populations. In addition to community coalitions, the MH-CIP includes Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGs) and subject matter experts in both governance and guidance roles. Westat, the MH-CIP Administrative Coordinating Center (ACC) facilitates communication between project stakeholders and NHLBI, provides technical assistance, and engages in regular monitoring of coalitions’ achievement of key study milestones.

To learn more about NHLBI’s other efforts and resources on improving maternal health and women’s health, visit the NHLBI's Heart Health and Pregnancy Page , Women’s Health Page and Advancing Women’s Heart Health Page

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Partners

Morehouse School of Medicine

New York University, Langone Health

Tulane University

University of North Carolina

Patient Advocacy Groups

National Birth Equity

The Pre-Eclampsia Foundation

External Senior Scientists

A photo of Dr. Melissa A. Simon

Melissa Simon, MD, MPH

Melissa A. Simon is the George H. Gardner Professor of Clinical Gynecology, Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also the Founder and Director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative. She serves as the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement.

She is an expert in implementation science, women’s health across the lifespan, minority health, community engagement and health equity.

She has been recognized with numerous awards for her substantial contribution to excellence in health equity scholarship, women’s health and mentorship, including her recent election to the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians. She has received the Presidential Award in Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentorship and is a Presidential Leadership Scholar. She is a former member of the US Preventive Services Task Force and currently serves on the CDC Community Preventive Services Task Force and the NIH Office of Research in Women’s Health Advisory Committee.

A photo of Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha

Ndidi Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, MPH

Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive health and social justice, and HIV/AIDS as experienced by Black women. She also serves as the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the university’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs.

A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in over 61 manuscripts, 6 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including, The Lancet, TedX, USA Today, and most recently broadcasted on MSNBC. She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Currently, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity, an R01 funded by National Institutes of Health and an interdisciplinary grant on health equity funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha was an honoree of the 2020 Top 40 under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare, as presented by the National Minority Quality Forum. She is a member of the MA-COVID-19 Maternal Equity Coalition, a board member for the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, and a former board member of the National Women’s Health Network in Washington, D.C. In 2019, she was honored with the American Public Health Association’s Maternal and Child Health Section’s Young Professional of the Year Award. She currently serves as co-chair of the section’s Perinatal and Women's Health Committee.

Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her PhD in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis on community based participatory research and health disparities.