Resources for Providers
Below are several links to educational and informational resources providers may find useful. If you would like to suggest any additions to this list, email titlev@dshs.texas.gov.
Healthy People 2030
Healthy People 2030 provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For 5 decades, Healthy People has established benchmarks and monitored progress over time.
PeriStats
Developed by the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, the PeriStats Website provides free access to US, state, county, and city maternal & infant health data.
CityMatch
CityMatch works to improve the health and well-being of urban women, children, and families by strengthening public health organizations and leaders in their communities.
WIC Breastfeeding Support
During a woman’s pregnancy, the WIC program teaches her how to breastfeed. Once she’s had her baby, WIC provides peer counseling and support as well as breast pumps and other breastfeeding supplies. Breastfeeding moms on WIC also receive more food and for a longer period.
Before, Between, and Beyond Pregnancy Website
The Before, Between, and Beyond Pregnancy Website was developed in conjunction with the CDC Select Panel on Pre-conceptional Care and in partnership with the UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health. The site offers guidance and resources for practitioners and patients on the integration of preconception care into practice.
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative assists hospitals in giving mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies or feeding formula safely and gives special recognition to hospitals that have done so.
- Is an award-winning online program that offers FREE CE Courses to enhance a provider's ability to provide preventive health, mental health, oral health & case management services to Medicaid-eligible children in Texas. Texas Health Steps is for children from birth through 20 years of age who have Medicaid.
- Provides regular medical and dental checkups and case management services to babies, children, teens, and young adults at no cost to you. If your child's doctor finds a health problem during a checkup, he or she can make sure your child gets the medical care that is necessary to help prevent problems that could make it hard for your child to learn and grow.
Texas 10-Step Program
Facilities are taking the extra steps to earn the prestigious Texas Ten Step designation for encouraging breastfeeding for all moms. The program, developed by the Texas Hospital Association (THA) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), requires breastfeeding training for all facility staff and outlines specific steps to ensure breastfeeding support. The Texas Medical Association endorses the Texas Ten Step Program as a method to improve maternity care practices surrounding breastfeeding and as a springboard to becoming a Baby-Friendly Hospital.
Think Cultural Health
The goal of Think Cultural Health is to advance health equity at every point of contact through the development and promotion of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Our continuing education programs are designed to help individuals at all levels and in all disciplines promote health and health equity.
39 Week Toolkit
To support hospitals in eliminating non-medically indicated deliveries before 39 weeks, March of Dimes, California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), and the California Department of Health, Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Division collaborated on the development of a quality improvement toolkit.
Childbirth Connection
ChildbirthConnection.org is a source for trustworthy up-to-date evidence-based information and resources on planning for pregnancy, labor and birth, and the postpartum period. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective, and satisfying evidence-based maternity care for all women and families.
National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities
This National Partnership for Action: Toolkit for Community Action will help individuals, communities, and organizations from the public and private sectors work together to implement programs and policies and engage with the NPA to reach that goal.
A Healthy Baby Begins with You
The Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services developed information to raise awareness about infant mortality with an emphasis on the African-American community as one of its efforts to end health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs is a national resource, partner, and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, children, youth, and families, including those with special health care needs.
Medicaid Health Insurance
For those women without private insurance who need access to prenatal care, there are options.
- The Texas Medicaid Program is available to those who qualify by their income, residency, and pregnancy status.
- CHIP Perinatal provides prenatal care for those mothers who are not eligible for Medicaid due to their income or residency status.
- In addition, the DSHS Office of Title V & Family Health offers the Title V Fee-for-Service Program in which uninsured mothers can receive prenatal care through participating contractors if they meet certain income criteria.
Case Management for Children & Pregnant Women
Case Management for Children & Pregnant Women provides services to children with a health condition/health risk, birth through 20 years of age, and to high-risk pregnant women of all ages, to help them gain access to medical, social, educational, and other health-related services.
External links are informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services.