Community-based program to reduce pregnancy complications, deaths, and disparities
Official title: Multilevel community-centered intervention to reduce pregnancy related and associated morbidity and mortality (PRAMM) and disparities among populations disproportionately affected
Funded at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences · NIH-11171428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers community health worker home visits and provider communication training to help pregnant people—especially those from groups facing higher risks—have safer pregnancies in three Michigan counties.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Lansing, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $984,497 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HD113291-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171428 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people who live in one of the three participating Michigan counties—particularly Black people and others from communities with higher rates of pregnancy-related harm—are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live in the participating counties or who are not currently pregnant would not be eligible and would not directly benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would be part of a large, real-world program developed with pregnant people, community leaders, providers, and health systems in three Michigan counties. Community health workers would provide enhanced pre- and postnatal home visits focused on maternal health needs and connections to local services. Providers and practices would get hands-on training to improve listening, culturally relevant care, and referrals between clinical and community supports. The project tests these linked supports across communities to see whether they lower pregnancy-related complications, deaths, and disparities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce pregnancy-related complications and deaths and narrow racial and other disparities in maternal outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller programs using community health workers and home visiting have shown promising improvements in maternal support and some outcomes, but this is the first large-scale pragmatic test focused specifically on reducing pregnancy-related morbidity, mortality, and disparities.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
East Lansing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meghea, Cristian Ioan — Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Meghea, Cristian Ioan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Training program to reduce pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated morbidity and mortality disparities
A multi-year training program helps scientists and trainees build skills to study and reduce disparities in pregnancy-related health outcomes.
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Scale-up approach to reduce pregnancy-related harm and disparities
A national-scale plan to spread proven hospital and community care practices to reduce pregnancy-related harm and disparities, especially in outpatient and community settings.
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PRAMM: a patient-friendly digital program to reduce pregnancy-related morbidity
A digital program called PC-PRAMM uses a flexible app to screen pregnant people, share tailored guidance, and connect them to live help to reduce pregnancy-related complications.
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Multilevel, community-centered plan to reduce pregnancy-related illness and death and close disparities
A large, real-world trial will test a coordinated set of community and healthcare changes to reduce pregnancy complications and death, with a focus on Black, Hispanic, and Medicaid populations.
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Pregnancy and Heart Health: Predicting and Preventing Pregnancy-Related Cardiovascular Problems
A research grant is developing advanced data tools to identify pregnant women at high risk of heart-related complications so clinicians can prevent maternal death.
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Expanding hospital and community care to reduce pregnancy-related illness, deaths, and racial gaps
This project is rolling out proven care bundles in hospitals and community clinics to help pregnant and postpartum people—especially Black birthing people—have fewer serious health problems and deaths.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.