As maternity care capacity continues to contract, with Becker’s reporting 28 related maternity service closures across the U.S. for the year, Indianapolis-based IU Health is doubling down on its long-term investment to strengthen mother and infant care access and outcomes.
In mid-November, the IU Health Foundation secured a $277,805 grant from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to support the Cradle Indy: Community Doula Program, which aims to reduce maternal and infant health outcome disparities in Marion County, Ind., according to a release shared with Becker’s.
“From a financial perspective, IU Health views investments in maternal health as essential to sustaining access to care across the state,” Brownsyne Edmonds, MD, vice president and chief health impact officer at IU Health, told Becker’s. “By supporting community-led efforts and working alongside partners such as Cradle Indy, we help improve care coordination, lower long-term costs and ensure families can access the right care at the right time.”
IU Health comprises dozens of facilities across Indiana and has more than 39,000 employees, according to its website.
The one-year grant will fund competitive pay and support community doulas as they help expectant mothers address barriers like safe housing, healthy food access and economic stability. It also aims to reduce the county’s preterm birth rate from 12.1% to 9% or lower.
Dr. Edmonds said IU Health measures the value of community programs through a long-term, systemwide lens, as opposed to traditional return-on-investment metrics. She also said the system prioritizes how these partnerships can expand access, boost outcomes and advance community health overall.
Crystal Miller, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer at IU Health and president of the IU Health Foundation, told Becker’s that philanthropy plays an essential role in driving the system’s long-term strategy to expand access and strengthen maternal health.
“It enables IU Health to advance high-impact, community-aligned initiatives — including care coordination, quality-focused programs and other supportive services — that complement both partner efforts and our operational investments,” she said. “By leveraging philanthropy, we can expand services more sustainably, pilot innovative models of care in collaboration with community organizations and help ensure that vulnerable mothers and infants have consistent access to the resources they need.”
