Delivering Improvements in Infant Mortality Rates

In some parts of Tennessee, the infant mortality rate is roughly twice the national average, and across the state poor birth outcomes are responsible for an estimated $610 million in health care costs each year. In response to these statistics, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation has developed partnerships with innovative organizations that are making headway in improving maternal and infant health. This Promising Practices in Maternal and Child Health fact sheet highlights two examples of these partnerships: a program that couples socio-emotional counseling with medical care for expectant mothers, and a telemedicine initiative that connects at-risk pregnant women in isolated areas with physician specialists.