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120,000 people served through partnership with clinical and community organizations

RICHARDSON, Texas — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is observing the two-year anniversary of its expanded Special Beginnings^® Maternal and Infant Health Initiative. The initiative aims to improve the health of moms and babies throughout Texas, with an increased focus on access to quality care, reducing care gaps, health education and hyperlocal community engagement. The expansion works to address factors that influence the health and wellbeing of women, children, and families, including addressing the non-medical factors that influence health.

The program started in August 2023  to address the higher than the national average maternal mortality rate in Texas. According to the most recent March of Dimes data, in 2024 there were 28.2 deaths per 100,000 live births. In addition, Texas ranks poorly in access to prenatal care, with 22% of birthing people not receiving adequate prenatal care. The state also has a low percentage of women with a primary care physician.

Since its inception, the program has produced measurable success across the communities BCBSTX serves, resulting in:

• Serving more than 120,000 people through community and clinical partners specialized in maternal health services
• Screening nearly 79,000 preconception and prenatal patients for sexually transmitted diseases and cervical cancer
• Distributing nearly 3,800 prenatal vitamin bottles to community partners for distribution
• More than 5,000 healthy babies born via initiative labor and delivery community partners.

These efforts also include the investment in maternal health workforce development, such as doulas and midwives to reduce perinatal disparities.

“This marks an important milestone as we recognize the second year of our commitment to improve the health outcomes for the moms and babies of Texas,” said Dr. Mark Chassay, BCBSTX VP and chief medical officer.  “We’ve served the state of Texas for more than 95 years, through every stage of life. That starts with maternal care. BCBSTX is committed to improving health outcomes in Texas every step of the way.”

BCBSTX recognizes the meaningful impact of its community partners and the expertise they bring through collaboration and trust. Their work helps to eliminate barriers to care from preconception through postpartum and is vital in creating lasting change in maternal and infant health. Through the Maternal and Infant Health Program, BCBSTX invested more than $10.2 million to 16 community partners that increase access to health care for moms and babies in Texas.

Key partnerships include:

• Abide Women’s Health Services: Expanding community-based prenatal and maternal health services both in office and via the Mobile Prenatal Clinic. 
• Access Esperanza Clinics: Providing pregnancy testing, prenatal vitamins, and health education to women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant through the Preconception Care Project.
• Bracane: Listening sessions hosted by health equity researchers engaging moms, pregnant women and providers in focus groups to share their experiences and insights to create actionable recommendations.  
• Centering Pregnancy: Equipping providers and expectant mothers with group setting support.
• Delfina: Leveraging AI algorithms to help empower providers and prevent pregnancy complications and improve health outcomes for moms and babies.
• HHM Health: Improving prenatal and infant health outcomes, offering medical and social support services, and expanding affordable, quality healthcare to new communities in Dallas.
• Holy Family Services Inc.: Offering health assessments, comprehensive women’s health services, maternity care, postpartum services, infant care, disease prevention and health risk management through stationary and mobile clinics.
• HOPE Clinic: Providing maternal care at four locations, offering prenatal and postpartum education to patients, and addressing patient needs through technology, reading materials, individual visits and group sessions.
• Huston-Tillotson: Expanding access of diverse doulas, midwives, lactation consultants to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and support maternal health education.
• InovCares: Telehealth solutions providing maternal health care providers and mothers with tools to promote healthier pregnancies and birth outcomes.
• March of Dimes: Increasing access to maternity care in Harris County with the first Mom and Baby Mobile Health Center in Texas.
• Nexus Family Recovery Center: Serving women and their children affected by Substance Use Disorder as one of few facilities in Texas that serve pregnant women before and after childbirth, and invite women to bring children to treatment.
• People’s Community Clinic: Providing prenatal care, support for new moms, diagnosing and treating infections, preventive screenings, pediatric primary care, and early childhood development programs.
• Santa Maria Hostel: Supporting the “Caring for Two Program,” promoting positive infant development and maternal health outcomes for families impacted by substance use, mental health challenges and trauma.
• Texas Pediatric Society: Supporting the health and welfare of children in Texas by providing physical, emotional and social health services. Continuing Education Units for providers.
• Vitamin Angels: Enabling clinics and community organizations to distribute no-cost prenatal vitamins to patients and clients.

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About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Celebrating 95 years of helping improve the health of Texans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas — the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas — is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with more than 168,000 physicians and health care practitioners, and 550 hospitals to serve eight million members in all 254 counties. BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico). Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Media Contacts

Dawn Kahle
Parris Kane-Ariola
media@bcbstx.com