Written by Mo Farrell, LMSW, manager, Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research
This month, hundreds of maternal and infant health thought leaders from across Missouri gathered to build connections at The Uplift Connection’s 2025 Maternal & Infant Health Convening. One of the convening’s two plenary sessions featured Abigail R. Barker, PhD, who provided updates on the state Medicaid agency’s efforts in maternal and infant health. In her role as a consultant with MO HealthNet Division (MHD), she explained that their mission is to refine their education practices, policies, and payment methodologies to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Recognizing that Missouri ranks among the worst states for maternal and infant health outcomes, MHD has organized a set of efforts over the past couple of years to increase awareness of available benefits, add non-traditional providers in non-traditional settings, and identify ways to direct resources to achieve better health outcomes.
Read more at the Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research.