I PROMOTE-IL

Innovations to ImPROve Maternal OuTcomEs in Illinois

Illinois Maternal Health Task Force (2019-2024)

I PROMOTE-IL established the Illinois Maternal Health Task Force, which was active from March 2020-September 2024. The main charge of the Task Force was to develop the Illinois Maternal Health Strategic Plan, which serves as a call to action to address the stark inequities in maternal, infant, and family health outcomes in Illinois.

I PROMOTE-IL, in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health and Family Services (IDPH OWHFS), assembled a diverse group of stakeholders to form the Illinois Maternal Health Task Force in March 2020. The Task Force was comprised of over 100 stakeholders from across the state and included representatives from governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies, community organizations, academia, the state legislature, the state’s maternal mortality review committees, health care entities, and other professional organizations focused on maternal and child health. The Illinois Maternal Health Task Force and Strategic Plan were both created in response to requirements of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)/Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded State Maternal Health Innovation Program.

You can download a one page overview of the 2019-2024 Illinois Maternal Health Task Force here.

The Task Force created a shared vision, mission, and values to guide the strategic planning process.

Vision

Health equity for women, pregnant persons, and families in Illinois, across race, ethnicity, class, geography, immigration status, and ability, where all have what they need to be healthy and reach their full potential.

Mission

To provide leadership in developing statewide strategies to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and to achieve maternal health equity by eliminating disparities and improving the overall health of women, pregnant persons, and families in Illinois.

Values

The values of the Illinois Maternal Health Task Force reflected our approach to working as a group and in collaboration with stakeholders, communities, and other partners, as the Strategic Plan was designed and implemented: Equity, Collaboration, Quality, Science/Evidence, and Community Empowerment.

Between March-October 2020, the Task Force developed the first version of the Illinois Maternal Health Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan went through five iterations from 2020 – 2024. Each version identified strategic priority areas to be addressed through Committees:

Objective: Expand coordination of services prior to, during, and after pregnancy.

The Care Coordination and Case Management Committee of the Illinois Maternal Health Task Force partnered with the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems: Health Integration Prenatal-to-Three Program (ECCS). The purpose of the ECCS is to build integrated maternal and early childhood systems of care that are equitable, sustainable, comprehensive, and inclusive of the health system. The vision of ECCS is that these integrated systems will promote early developmental health and family well-being, and increase family-centered access to care and engagement of the prenatal-to-three population. The Care Coordination and Case Management Committee will serve as the Advisory Committee for the implementation of the ECCS Project through the Fall of 2025.

Objective: Ensure all pregnant and postpartum persons have equitable access to quality care and disseminate information on resources, healthcare services, and patient’s rights to pregnant persons, families, and communities.

During 2021, the Public Education and Community Empowerment and Engagement and the Equal Access to High Quality Care committees merged to form the Community Access, System Equity and Education Committee. 

Objective: Address social and systemic issues that alter pregnant and postpartum persons’ ability to be healthy across the reproductive continuum.

Objective: Increase awareness, access, and use of maternal health data systems and resources to inform efforts to reduce severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality. 

In March 2023, the Data Committee launched its Data Use Webinar Series. Recordings and materials of the Data Webinar Series can be found here.

Each committee met on its own schedule to accomplish the identified activities listed in the Strategic Plan. Committee co-chairs offered direction and I PROMOTE-IL monitored progress and provided support/resources when available.

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