​January 23, 2024

Media Contact:
Chase Cook, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-8649

Maryland Department of Health announces nearly $278,500 in grants to expand CenteringPregnancy sites
New funding recognizes Maternal Health Awareness Day, expands group-based prenatal care and support

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health today recognized Maternal Health Awareness Day with an announcement of nearly $278,500 in new grant money to expand CenteringPregnancy sites. 

The two-year $278,478 grant awarded to the Centering Healthcare Institute will expand to seven the number of CenteringPregnancy sites offering comprehensive prenatal care. The funding period will run through June 30, 2026. 

“Expanding the CenteringPregnancy program is a significant step forward in our commitment to improve maternal health and services,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “The additional sites will help ensure greater prenatal care access in inclusive settings among people who share similar lived experiences and with providers who can address individual needs and empower patients to play active roles in the health of themselves and their babies.”

CenteringPregnancy blends traditional prenatal checkups with group discussions and peer support. Research has shown the effectiveness of this model, particularly among Black women who face disproportionately adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes. The program promotes a more collaborative care environment, emphasizing a holistic approach to prenatal care. 

CenteringPregnancy also supports Maryland’s efforts to address health disparities and improve health equity through extended reach, enhanced support, and better pregnancy outcomes, such as lower rates of preterm births and improved patient satisfaction. Participants will benefit from additional resources, including expert-led group sessions that cover topics like nutrition, childbirth preparation and postpartum care, fostering a sense of community and shared experience. Maryland Medicaid provides additional reimbursement to approved providers and managed care organizations enrolled in the CenteringPregnancy model.

In January 2023, the Maryland Department of Health awarded funding to Mercy Medical to operate a CenteringPregnancy site at its downtown Baltimore location and the Centering Healthcare Institute to recruit sites in priority jurisdictions and provide administrative support for the program’s two-year implementation phase. Those sites include:

• University of Maryland St. Joseph’s Women’s Health Associates in Baltimore County,
• Kaiser Gaithersburg in Montgomery County,
• Luminus Health GreenBelt in Prince George’s County,
  
• Mary’s Center Silver Springs in Montgomery County.

The new sites will be announced at a later date.

Maternal and child health is a top population health priority for the state and part of Maryland’s Statewide Integrated Health Improvement Strategy to improve health, reduce disparities and transform healthcare delivery. 

To learn more about efforts to improve the health of women and children, visit the Maryland Department of Health Maternal and Child Health Bureau. 

To learn more about Medicaid’s enhanced reimbursement to CenteringPregnancy-approved providers, visit the Maryland Department of Health Medicaid CenteringPregnancy Provider Information page. 

For information about Maryland Medicaid services to support healthy pregnancy and healthy children, visit the Maryland Department of Health Office of Medicaid Maternal and Child Health Programs. 

Health care providers can visit the University of Maryland’s Maryland Addiction Consultation Service for Moms to find support for addressing the needs of pregnant and postpartum patients ​with substance use disorders.