DOH awards funding to strengthen maternal health in Tribal and rural communities

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Maternal Health Innovations (MHI) Program grants. Launched in 2023 with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the MHI Program aims to improve maternal health across Washington through three goals:

• Establishing a statewide maternal health taskforce,
• Identifying strategic priorities for the next five years, and
• Improving how maternal mortality and morbidity data are collected and used at the state level.

"These awards are a key step to improving maternal health and reducing health inequities in Tribal and rural communities, where access to maternity care can be limited," said Lacy Fehrenbach, Chief of Prevention, Safety and Health, DOH. "The awards also reflect our commitment to investing in community-driven solutions to improve maternal health for Washington residents-no matter where they live."

The statewide maternal health taskforce identified the MHI Program awards as priorities in Washington's maternal health strategic plan. The MHI Program awards two separate grants: the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Maternal Health Grant and the Expanding Rural Nursing Programs Grant.

American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal Health Grant

Two organizations will each receive $200,000 annually for two years to expand maternal health services that are designed and led by AI/AN communities:

• The Hi•dubaɫ Baʔas (Makah Birthing House) will use this grant to formalize its birthworker program that serves the Makah Reservation and the Neah Bay area, a remote community located more than 75 miles from the nearest birthing hospital. This funding supports the Hi•dubaɫ Baʔas in offering expanded in-home lactation services, organizing a monthly play group for young children, and launching a YouTube channel to share Makah Traditional Knowledge on birthing and parenting with Tribal members both locally and afar.
• The Northwest Washington Indian Health Board (NWWIHB) will strengthen its existing maternal health partnership with PeaceHealth in Bellingham, the only birthing hospital in the region. NWWIHB will also launch a community-based doula network, offering culturally grounded childbirth, lactation, and perinatal mental health support, while connecting AI/AN families with Indigenous Life Givers during hospital and clinic visits.

The awardees for the American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal Health Grant were selected by a review committee made up of five AI/AN community members from across the state. These individuals have deep maternal health experience and are citizens or descendants of Tribal Nations including the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Spokane Tribe of Indians, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Expanding Nursing Education in Rural Communities:

To help address workforce shortages that contribute to hospital closures and gaps in maternity care in rural communities, the MHI Program is also awarding up to $100,000 annually for 3.5 years to each of two educational institutions:

• Big Bend Community College (BBCC) will expand its partnership with the Rural Nursing Education Program, which helps students complete nursing degrees while living and training in rural areas. BBCC will provide remote nursing education to a new cohort of 10 students and continue its work with rural healthcare facilities across Grant, Adams, Lincoln, and Ferry counties. The grant will allow BBCC to revise and adapt its curriculum to include rural-specific nursing content.