Improving Maternal Care for All Mothers
Official title: Reducing Maternal Health Disparities: Effects of Recent Health Workforce Policies
Funded at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. · NIH-11111355 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how health policies help bring more maternal care providers to communities that need them most, aiming to improve care for mothers across the country.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Canton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $596,801 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR020859-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11111355 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This policy-focused project aims to benefit all women of reproductive age, especially those living in communities with limited access to maternal healthcare providers.
✕Less likely to help
Individual patients will not directly participate in or receive immediate medical benefit from this policy analysis.
What this research studies
Many communities in the U.S. face a serious shortage of doctors and nurses who specialize in maternal care, leading to higher rates of maternal health problems. Our project explores how government programs, like the National Health Service Corps, have expanded to place more healthcare professionals in these underserved areas. We want to understand if these efforts have successfully reduced the differences in maternal care and health outcomes between communities with and without enough providers. By studying these policies, we hope to find better ways to ensure all mothers have access to the care they need.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform future policies to improve access to maternal care and reduce health disparities for pregnant individuals nationwide.
How similar studies have gone: This project is novel as no prior studies have specifically evaluated the impact of the National Health Service Corps expansion on disparities in maternal care and outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
Canton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yu, Hao — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, INC.
- Study coordinator: Yu, Hao
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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.