Leveraging the Power of Collective Impact To Increase Access to Maternal and Infant Healthcare and Education

Today in the US, millions of women do not have access to quality maternity care during and after pregnancy, which can lead to health risks and complications for mom and baby.

The Quest Diagnostics Foundation, as part of the Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) initiative, is working together with March of Dimes to address this and help create a healthier world, one life at a time. An expanded collaboration between the two groups will increase access to critical maternal and infant healthcare and health education in Houston, Miami, and Chicago through the power of local collective impact.

March of Dimes is the nation’s leading nonprofit for the health of moms and babies. Through a grant from the Foundation, March of Dimes will build on its local impact and more deeply address the root cause of health inequities through education and outreach within these three communities. Primary goals of the effort include:

• Increasing the number of trained community health workers (CHWs) and doulas available in these three communities to care for moms and babies
• Increasing access to critical maternal and infant health education and basic needs

"March of Dimes looks forward to the impact of our collaboration with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation toward our mutual goal of advancing health equity for moms and babies in the US,” said Kelly Ernst, SVP, Chief Revenue & Impact Officer for March of Dimes. "Through support from the Quest Diagnostics Foundation and the power of collective impact, we're aiming to increase the availability of trained community healthcare workers and doulas to care for moms and babies, while increasing access to critical maternal and infant health education and basic needs at the community level."

A portion of the grant funding March of Dimes received will be used to deploy recruiting and training initiatives for CHWs and doulas in the three cities so that more families have access to quality healthcare and support.

Additionally, the collaboration will enable increased access to health education by supporting local community outreach efforts. March of Dimes will distribute critical maternal health information at events including community health fairs, food distribution events, and mom and baby health and wellness events to help support families.

March of Dimes and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation’s collaboration is fueled by a shared goal of advancing health equity for moms and babies, and through our mutual vision of a world where every family is healthy, regardless of race, wealth, or geography. This new effort blends the missions of our two organizations, specifically through the Q4HE initiative, which provides resources, funding, and education to address health disparities in underserved communities across the US, with the goal of enabling long-term impact at the community level through deep local community engagement.

Learn more! For more on Quest’s work with March of Dimes and how to get involved, visit https://www.marchofdimes.org/get-involved/partner/corporate/quest-diagnostics-foundation