Description
The Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center's™ (MHLIC) mission is to foster collaboration and learning among diverse stakeholders to accelerate evidence-informed interventions advancing equitable maternal health outcomes through engagement, innovation, and policy. The Center’s goal is to provide a continuum of learning opportunities that enhance the capacity of all maternal health practitioners across the country. MHLIC is committed to centering equity in its work to improve maternal health and focuses efforts on supporting those who have been historically marginalized and are consequently made most at risk for maternal mortality and morbidity. To learn more about the importance of maternal heart and advancing equitable maternal health outcomes, The Heart Truth® connected with Kelli Sheppard, MHLIC Communications Director.
Why is maternal heart health important?
Maternal heart health is important because women are literally responsible for the future and the future health of our communities. The birth journey is when women are most vulnerable, and improving maternal health outcomes means improving lives overall.
How does the MHLIC work to improve maternal heart health outcomes?
MHLIC helps improve maternal health by connecting maternal health learners with maternal health doers. We provide coaching and technical assistance services to Maternal Health Innovation States (MHIs), which include health departments and hospitals, and we also provide learning opportunities to maternal health stakeholders in the field. They take what they learn and apply it in their respective communities.
What should all women know about their heart health?
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States (U.S.). Cardiomyopathy, which is a weakened heart muscle, is the most common cause of maternal mortality, anywhere from one week to one year after delivery of the baby (Yale Medicine). Taking care of your heart may improve your maternal health outcomes.
What are three actions women can take to protect their heart health before, during, and after pregnancy?
1) Monitor their blood pressure. 2) Know/learn their risk for preeclampsia. 3) Know/learn their risk for heart disease.
As a Healthy Hearts Network partner, what have been some benefits of the partnership between the MHLIC and The Heart Truth?
A major benefit of MHLIC’s partnership with The Heart Truth is our collective reach. Reaching maternal health professionals while also reaching the general consumer is pertinent to improving maternal health outcomes in the U.S.
Are there resources from The Heart Truth that you have found useful in your education and outreach efforts?
MHLIC has especially found the resources related to Heart Health and Pregnancy to be very useful, particularly during the American Heart Month campaign we participate in yearly.
Links to additional resources:
• The Heart Truth
• Heart Health and Pregnancy
• Pregnancy and Your Heart Health Fact Sheet
