Texas Health and Human Services Commission — Awarded More Than $4M
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has awarded more than $4 million to the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator. Officials say the funding will help the program serve more families and support data tracking with the state agency; the reported award description does not specify the funding period.
The accelerator’s work includes in-home support for families. Bessie Bronstein developed high blood pressure during pregnancy and was admitted to a Texas hospital before an emergency cesarean section. Her son, Bernie, was born 10 weeks early on February 23, weighing 2½ pounds, and spent roughly his first three months in the NICU. Bronstein went home a few days after giving birth but stayed an extra five days in the hospital after her surgery; Bernie came home about three months later. Her story was first reported by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. After Bronstein returned home, the accelerator contacted her and provided support, which the program says it offers regardless of whether a family has a specific identified problem.
A Coalition Born From Fort Worth’s Health Crisis
The accelerator’s roots trace back four years, to when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker created the coalition behind it in response to alarming local statistics. Tarrant County has long struggled with high maternal mortality numbers, and the 76104 ZIP code — which sits near Fort Worth’s medical district in historically Black neighborhoods — has been cited as having the second-highest maternal death rate in the nation. A separate UT Southwestern study found that same ZIP code has the lowest life expectancy in Texas, at 67 years, according to CBS News, while Tarrant County Public Health data cited by WFAA put the area’s infant mortality rate at 19 deaths per 1,000 live births, more than triple the national average…