Springfield Urban League gets $55K to boost maternal health
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The Springfield Urban League has received a $55,000 grant to support a program aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
The funding, provided by The MolinaCares Accord in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Illinois, will support the league’s EmpowerHER: Uplift Black Mothers Program, according to a community announcement.
The program will connect families to community-based services and resources to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Black women are at higher risk for pregnancy-related illnesses
In Illinois, Black women are more than twice as likely to die from any pregnancy-related conditions and three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than White women, according to the announcement.
“At the Springfield Urban League, we are committed to equipping under-resourced Illinoisians with the services, education and support they need to reach their fullest potential,” Tatyana Garnder, director of health initiatives at Springfield Urban League, said in the announcement. “Through our partnership with Molina, we look forward to bringing this new health initiative to life and addressing the existing maternal health disparities in the Springfield community.”
The grant will support new and expectant mothers by funding doula services, community baby showers, breastfeeding support groups and educational workshops that aim to improve maternal health outcomes.
“Recent data shows that many pregnancy-related deaths in Illinois could have been prevented with appropriate health care services,” Kris Classen, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Illinois, said in the announcement. “By bringing health education directly to mothers in our community and improving access to care and resources through the EmpowerHER Program, Molina hopes to help expectant mothers make informed decisions about their care and give newborns a healthy start to life.”
This latest investment is part of the more than $5 million that Molina and MolinaCares have contributed in Illinois over the past two years to community organizations that play a vital role in strengthening health across the state, according to the announcement.
This story was created by Janis Reeser, [email protected] with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at
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