LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Officials expect infant and maternal mortality to decrease thanks to a federal grant to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
The $599,887 grant was made under the Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes Initiative grant by the Department of Health and Human Services. It will fund two UAMS studies over four years: one on reducing infant death and one on reducing maternal death.
Officials said the studies will examine community-level innovations that increase the use of preventive health services. The ultimate goal is to reduce disparities in health status among people of particular racial, ethnic and tribal backgrounds.
The studies are based in two public health technical measures: Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and Leading Health Indicator (LHI), measuring one against the other. HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and OMH Director Rear Admiral Felicia Collins, M.D. explained how SDOH and LHI are used.
“Factors such as poverty, limited access to health care, and lack of education or health literacy are examples of SDOH that individually and collectively have negative impacts on health outcomes for racial and ethnic minority and Tribal populations,” Collins said. “By implementing community interventions that address multiple SDOH, awardees will advance our knowledge of how to increase preventive health service utilization and improve health outcomes related to LHIs.”
UAMS was the only institution in Arkansas to receive an HHS grant under this program. The project period for each grant is September 2024 to September 2028.