UAMS program reaching out to postpartum moms in the state

Eight nurses working with the Arkansas Center for Women and Infants’ Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have started calling postpartum moms in Arkansas to check on the health of the moms and their babies.

According to Krista Langston, executive director of the Proactive Postpartum Call Center, said contact data come from SHARE, the statewide health information exchange, and participating hospitals. The eight nurses are affiliated with the call center.

“Through these partnerships, we securely receive the mother’s contact information and key birth-related details needed to ensure a successful follow-up call,” Langston said in information provided to Talk Business & Politics.

Langson said the program is now supported by six Arkansas hospitals with the goal of adding 20 more by July 1, 2026.

“A UAMS nurse will call each new mom in the days after delivery to discuss any postpartum concerns, such as recovery, well-being, infant care or help with diapers, formula, housing, lactation support, and insurance reenrollment,” Dr. Nirvana Manning, chair of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of the Center for Women and Infants’ Health, said in a statement.

The initiative launched its pilot phase on May 1, calling all postpartum women who delivered at UAMS. It is expanding to those who delivered at other participating hospitals in Arkansas. Since the launch, the center has called 1,937 postpartum mothers in Arkansas. Of those, 1,554, or 80%, have spoken to a nurse, and 1,285, or 66%, have completed at least 90% of the full health and social determinants of health assessment.

“By reaching out to them during the first six weeks after birth, we are connecting with these women at a time when maternal mortality risk is at its highest,” said Manuel Tejada, program director at the UAMS center. “That means that for some of these women, these calls can be the difference between life and death.”

According to the UAMS, one mom called reported symptoms similar to postpartum preeclampsia, a “serious and sometimes life-threatening condition, characterized by high blood pressure, that can develop in women who have recently given birth.” The mom was able to receive appropriate medical care because of the call.

“Our goal is to take the burden off families to reach out and ask for help,” Manning said. “This initiative calls all moms and hopefully allows for more trust and dialogue.”

The center brings together UAMS programs and partnerships that are designed to combat maternal and infant mortality. It was created from a $5 million congressional appropriation to UAMS in March 2024 that was pushed by U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and was in response to the state’s high number of maternal and infant deaths and findings from the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which showed that most pregnancy-associated deaths in Arkansas occur during the postpartum period, according to the UAMS.

The Center for Women and Infants’ Health also has two other initiatives that provide postpartum alert bracelets and mother and infant supply kits. The bracelets initiative began Feb. 1 at UAMS. Postpartum women receive a bracelet that says, “I GAVE BIRTH,” which they are encouraged to wear for at least six weeks. They serve as a visual cue to health care providers and emergency responders that the woman recently gave birth and is still at risk of complications. Also, a QR code on each bracelet provides quick access to educational information and other resources.

The supply kits include diapers, diaper rash ointment, sleep sacks, and overnight pads and were handed out beginning April 7 at UAMS. The UAMS said it plans to have the kits available at all Arkansas labor and delivery locations by Jan. 1, 2026.

“By initially limiting each of the initiatives to postpartum moms who delivered at UAMS, the center has been able to fine-tune its procedures to ensure smooth implementation statewide,” noted the UAMS press release.