How community health centers can help pregnant and postpartum Medicaid patients
Assessing the role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in advancing quality of care for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid enrollees
This project will compare care at Federally Qualified Health Centers and other clinics to see whether those centers help pregnant and postpartum Medicaid patients get better access, coordinated care, and support for social needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11289459 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your point of view, researchers will use medical records and Medicaid data to compare outcomes for low-income pregnant and postpartum people who get care at FQHCs versus other outpatient clinics. They will also conduct interviews with patients and clinic staff to learn about real-world experiences, barriers, and how social needs are addressed. The team will compare centers that provide prenatal care on-site to those that refer out, using quasi-experimental and mixed-methods techniques to separate the effect of the clinic model from other factors. The focus is on access, quality of care, care coordination, and connections to social services that matter during pregnancy and after birth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are low-income pregnant or postpartum people enrolled in Medicaid who receive primary or maternity care at U.S. Federally Qualified Health Centers or other outpatient clinics.
Not a fit: People who are not Medicaid enrollees, receive care only at specialty hospitals, or whose pregnancy care is managed exclusively by tertiary specialists may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform policies and clinic changes that expand maternity services at community health centers and improve access and outcomes for low-income pregnant and postpartum people.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows FQHCs can improve primary care quality, but the specific impact on pregnancy and postpartum outcomes is largely unstudied, so this approach addresses a known evidence gap.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gordon, Sarah Hall — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Gordon, Sarah Hall
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 below.