BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Health on Tuesday recognized Maternal Health Awareness Day with an announcement of nearly $278,500 in new grant money to expand CenteringPregnancy sites.

The two-year $278,478 grant awarded to the Centering Healthcare Institute will expand to seven the number of CenteringPregnancy sites offering comprehensive prenatal care. The funding period will run through June 30, 2026.

“Expanding the CenteringPregnancy program is a significant step forward in our commitment to improve maternal health and services,” said MDH Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “The additional sites will help ensure greater prenatal care access in inclusive settings among people who share similar lived experiences and with providers who can address individual needs and empower patients to play active roles in the health of themselves and their babies.”

CenteringPregnancy blends traditional prenatal checkups with group discussions and peer support. Research has shown the effectiveness of this model, particularly among Black women who face disproportionately adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes. The program promotes a more collaborative care environment, emphasizing a holistic approach to prenatal care.

CenteringPregnancy also supports Maryland’s efforts to address health disparities and improve health equity through extended reach, enhanced support, and better pregnancy outcomes, such as lower rates of preterm births and improved patient satisfaction. Participants will benefit from additional resources, including expert-led group sessions that cover topics like nutrition, childbirth preparation and postpartum care, fostering a sense of community and shared experience. Maryland Medicaid provides additional reimbursement to approved providers and managed care organizations enrolled in the CenteringPregnancy model.

In January 2023, the Maryland Department of Health awarded funding to Mercy Medical to operate a CenteringPregnancy site at its downtown Baltimore location and the Centering Healthcare Institute to recruit sites in priority jurisdictions and provide administrative support for the program’s two-year implementation phase. Those sites include:

• University of Maryland St. Joseph’s Women’s Health Associates in Baltimore County,
• Kaiser Gaithersburg in Montgomery County,
• Luminus Health GreenBelt in Prince George’s County,
• Mary’s Center Silver Springs in Montgomery County.

The new sites will be announced at a later date.