Texas invests $4 million to expand North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator after local premature birth case

# What happened

# Why it matters Tarrant County has had persistent concerns about maternal deaths, including specific neighborhoods with especially high rates. Local leaders formed the MHA to provide consistent, wraparound care for pregnant and postpartum women so that warning signs can be caught early and barriers to care can be removed.

# What the MHA does Center and includes public behavioral health providers such as MHMR plus community partners. Services available through the program include:

• Medical follow-up and health screenings for conditions like high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia.
• Practical supports such as transportation help to keep appointment access reliable.
• Nutritional supports including iron supplements.
• A Help Me Grow app to connect mothers to services and accept referrals.

# A patient's experience Fort Worth mother Bessie Bronstein's pregnancy was mostly uncomplicated until she developed severe swelling and high blood pressure late in pregnancy. She was admitted to the hospital, underwent an emergency cesarean, and her son Bernie was born 10 weeks early and spent about three months in the NICU.

While Bernie remained hospitalized, the MHA reached out to Bronstein at home. A staff member walked her through what had happened in the hospital, helped her process the experience, and provided follow-up support—services Bronstein described as important for her recovery and mental health.

# Goals tied to the new funding Leaders say the state funding will allow the MHA to:

• Enroll more families and broaden geographic reach across North Texas.
• Continue proactive monitoring for warning signs that can lead to severe obstetric complications, such as pre-eclampsia and dangerously high blood pressure.
• Track outcomes with HHSC so the program can report on lives saved, reductions in severe delivery complications, and other measurable results.

# How the program approaches care MHA staff look for early clinical signs that predict serious complications and also address nonmedical barriers that affect outcomes. The program treats postpartum entry as valid—mothers can seek help months after delivery if they begin to feel overwhelmed. Leaders frame the service as building resilience and practical supports so parents can manage recovery and caregiving demands.

# Immediate context and next steps

# Bottom line The state investment formalizes and scales a local coalition that combines clinical screening with practical support and care navigation. The program's early contacts with families—like Bronstein's—illustrate how postpartum outreach can address both clinical follow-up and mental-health needs after stressful deliveries.