HJAR May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2026 35 Jennifer Dillaha, MD Director Arkansas Department of Health Care teams should communicate clearly: Do not wait until the next appointment if something feels wrong. This is critical in the postpartum period, especially when 30% of maternal deaths and severe complications occur after six weeks postpartum. High-risk patients, including those with hypertension, may need to be seen within a week of delivery. Others, such as those recovering from cesarean birth, may benefit from a follow-up visit within two weeks. Care should be tailored to in- dividual risk, rather than a one-size-fits-all timeline. When patients miss postpartum visits, follow-up matters. Transportation and childcare are common barriers. A missed appointment does not always mean a patient is well. It may mean she is overwhelmed. A simple phone call can help re-engage patients and reinforce the message that her health matters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Hear Her campaign offers tools to help providers recognize warning signs and communicate them effectively to patients. Improving Health Before Pregnancy Improving maternal outcomes requires attention before pregnancy begins. Pro- viders across specialties should routinely ask women of reproductive age: “Are you thinking about becoming pregnant in the next 12 months?” If the answer is yes, that visit becomes an opportunity to support a healthy pregnancy before it starts. This may include reviewing blood pressure, screening for diabetes, prescribing prenatal vitamins, and addressing current health conditions that could complicate a future pregnancy. Oral health often is an overlooked fac- tor. Periodontal disease is associated with increased risk of preterm birth and pre- eclampsia. Treating it during pregnancy does not significantly reduce these risks, but addressing it beforehand can. Provid- ers should routinely ask patients about their oral health and encourage dental care as part of preconception planning. Community Resources and Collaboration Healthcare professionals are not alone in doing this work. Arkansas has a growing network of resources to support maternal health. Connecting patients to them is a critical part of providing care. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has expanded access to prenatal care by increasing the number of local health units where prenatal and postpartum care is offered from 50 to 67 sites. In addition, ADH local health units also offerWomen, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits, breastfeeding support, and immunizations, and have com- munity health workers on staff. For patients who deliver far from home, these units can provide closer-to-home follow-up care, such as postpartum blood pressure checks. TheADH also offers BeWell Baby, which is a program designed to help pregnant mothers stop using tobacco. Another avail- able resource is the Baby &Me program of- fered to WIC participants by the ADH, the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and other stakeholders to boost child well- being, relieve parental stress, and prevent child abuse or neglect. Additional support includes specialized women’s services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder, community health workers and doulas who help patients navigate care, and tools such as the Pregnancy Plus app, which connects families to services including Medicaid enrollment, food assistance, local health units, and transportation. The Arkansas Birthing Project provides support to women during pregnancy and for one year postpartum. The Arkansas Center for Women and Infants’Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has a call center that also provides follow-up support in the weeks after delivery. There is also a free, confidential National Maternal Mental Health Hotline available 24/7 in English and Spanish. Women who are pregnant or have just given birth can call or text 1-833-852-6262. A Shared Responsibility Strong communication between provid- ers is essential. When patients transition between hospitals, clinics, and commu- nity-based services, sharing records and maintaining continuity of care helps pre- vent gaps that can put lives at risk. Clear communication between provid- ers and patients is also critical to improv- ing maternal outcomes. Providers can help facilitate that by making sure their patients understand that their health matters and that they have a voice in their care. Head- aches that won’t go away, vision changes, swelling, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a general sense that something is not right are all reasons to check with a healthcare provider. Make sure patients know that it is better to check and find that everything is fine than to delay care and it turns out to be a serious warning sign. Improving maternal health in Arkansas will take continued investment, strong systems of care, and collaboration across communities. But it also comes down to something simple and powerful: asking the right questions, listening to the answers, and acting on what we learn fromour patients. n