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RICHMOND, VA - Today, Governor Glenn Youngkin has unveiled new initiatives to build on the Administration's ongoing efforts to strengthen maternal health in the Commonwealth focused around three key pillars: improving data, expanding targeted high-quality care, and increasing awareness.
Today's announcements build on the nearly $500 million currently spent annually to support maternal health services in the Commonwealth.
The initiatives announced today include legislation to support the implementation of "safety bundles" to clarify the protocols used during and after pregnancy, to improve care for obstetric patients to better recognize urgent maternal warning signs, including cardiac conditions, as well as legislation to support growing workforce needs by expanding out-of-state midwife licensure by endorsement recognition.
The Governor also issued Executive Directive Eleven to direct the Virginia Department of Health to enhance the Maternal and Child Health Data Dashboard to include actionable data on pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related mortality and causes, and to establish a centralized maternal health website to provide families with essential resources in one accessible location. These data enhancement efforts will be supported by $1 million of existing Transformation Office funds. The Governor also directed the Department of Medicaid Services to form a work group of Medicaid Managed Care Organizations to improve prenatal, delivery, and postpartum services.
Finally, the Governor announced budget proposals for perinatal hubs, additional funding for doulas and community health workers, an awareness campaign, and increasing reimbursement for high-demand residency slots.
"When we started on our journey, we knew that we needed to approach the problem in a new way, our overall guiding principle was this: We will see every mother and work collectively to provide the care she needs to deliver a healthy, thriving baby," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "Today, we are going further on all three of our key pillars to ensure mothers have the resources they need during pregnancy, during birth, and postpartum."
"Maternal health is not a political issue, it's a human issue. I am honored to work with Governor Youngkin on these comprehensive proposals that will help us deliver holistic, quality, innovative solutions to our maternal health challenges," said Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. "The state can play its role, but this is a whole-of-community effort. We need all the of the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, daughters and nieces to come together, along with their husbands, brothers, and fathers, to come together and make Virginia the best place to have a healthy baby."
"Every mother deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing she and her baby are receiving the best possible care," said Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet V. Kelly. "Our key pillars and announcements by the Governor today are about making sure that when someone reaches out for help, they find it - whether it's through a trained doula, a community health worker, or their respective healthcare provider who can help guide them before, during and after pregnancy."
Additional Information on Announced Initiatives:
Maternal Health Legislation
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Strengthening Emergency Care for Obstetric Patients: In partnership with the Virginia Neonatal Perinatal Collaborative this proposal ensures all hospitals and free-standing emergency departments (EDs) participate in quality improvement initiatives and all emergency services have adequate provisions and protocols, known as "safety bundles," to care for obstetric patients, recognizing urgent maternal warning signs including cardiac conditions.
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Endorsement of Out-of-State Licensed Midwives: This legislation would allow out-of-state midwives to obtain licensure in Virginia, provided their qualifications meet equivalent standards. This will increase access to midwifery care, especially in underserved areas.
Executive Action
The Governor has issued Executive Directive Eleven to direct the Virginia Department of Health to enhance the Maternal and Child Health Data Dashboard to include actionable data on pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related mortality and causes, and to establish a centralized maternal health website to provide families with essential resources in one accessible location. The Governor also allocated $1 million of existing Transformation Office funds to support the implementation of the ED as well as the ongoing work of the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures.
Finally, the Governor directed the Department of Medicaid to form a work group of all Medicaid Managed Care Organization to work with them to ensure that all Medicaid patients are receiving the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care guaranteed in the plan.
Budget Amendments
The Governor's proposed budget allocates an additional $4 million to improve maternal health by expanding perinatal health hubs, increasing payments for psychiatric and obstetric-gynecological graduate medical residencies to increase the maternal health workforce, adding more doulas and community health worker positions, and launching a statewide maternal health education campaign. This funding is in addition to the nearly $500 million the Commonwealth currently spends annually on maternal health.
The Maternal Mortality Review Team (MMRT) identified care coordination as a key factor in reducing maternal deaths in Virginia. The Governor's comprehensive plan will address this by spurring collaboration between healthcare providers, community organizations, public health officials, the Department of Health (VDH), and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS). By working closely with Virginia's managed care organizations, federally qualified health centers, and hospitals, these initiatives will ensure that expecting mothers and families have better information about how to access high-quality care and community supports.
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$2.5 million to fund perinatal health hub pilot programs: Supports the expansion of the perinatal health hubs model by piloting three sites across the Commonwealth, including at least one in a rural region. These two-year grant awards will empower community-based providers to improve maternal and infant outcomes and reduce mortality. The program will prioritize underserved areas, collaboration with local stakeholders, service evaluation, and long-term sustainability. A comprehensive report on program outcomes and effectiveness, including details on participating providers, populations served, and health impacts, will be submitted by June 30, 2026.
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$1 million in additional support for doulas and community health workers in local health districts: Provides an additional $1 million in funding to support critical positions, including doulas, that prioritize serving localities with the highest maternal mortality rates. Doulas and community health workers play a vital role in improving maternal health by assisting with prenatal care, addressing health disparities, and connecting mothers to life-saving resources. This additional investment aims to strengthen maternal health services in the areas that need them most.
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$500,000 to raise awareness of maternal health warning signs: Funds an education campaign for the public recognizing potentially life-threatening warning signs during and after pregnancy. The campaign will also emphasize the importance of screenings for behavioral health and substance-use disorders, focusing on preeclampsia prevention through initiatives such as the "Ask About Aspirin" campaign.
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Increase payments for psychiatric and obstetric-gynecological graduate medical residencies: Funds supplemental payments for graduate medical education in psychiatric and obstetric-gynecological specialties to expand residency slots, focusing on underserved areas and high-need specialties. Effective July 1, 2026, the supplemental payment for all qualifying obstetric-gynecological and psychiatric residencies will increase to $150,000 annually. The previous payment of $100,000 was insufficient to attract the number of desired applications and funding for residencies was not fully utilized. Increasing the reimbursement for two of the most in demand professions-psychiatric residencies and OB-GYN residencies-will increase applications and help grow the necessary workforce.
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