Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama Funds March of Dimes’ First Alabama Mom and Baby Mobile Health Center®

Birmingham, AL - To help improve maternal and infant health outcomes in our state, particularly in rural areas, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is partnering with the March of Dimes to launch the first Alabama Mom and Baby Mobile Health Center.

The BCBSAL-funded mobile health center will be March of Dimes' first unit in Alabama and will offer on-the-ground maternal programs such as support, education and health care to moms and moms-to-be in rural areas of Alabama. The unit will help close access gaps by offering pre-conception, pregnancy, postpartum and newborn interventions, as well as primary, wellness and preventive care.

The March of Dimes recently released their report Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US. Maternity care deserts are counties where there's no access to birthing hospitals, birth centers offering obstetric care, or obstetric providers.

According to the March of Dimes, for Alabama counties:

• 58% have low or no access to maternal care.
• 37.3% do not have an obstetric clinician.
• 14.9% have only one obstetric clinician.
• 7,300 babies are living in maternity care deserts.
• 12.2% of childbearing aged women live in no access areas.

"Improving maternal and infant health outcomes across our state is a top priority," said Sophie Martin, Director, Corporate Communications and Community Relations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. "We care about giving moms access to the care they need at all stages of their pregnancy. Our strong and innovative partnership with the March of Dimes will provide a gateway to affordable, quality healthcare, specifically in rural areas of Alabama."

The mobile unit aims to launch next Fall and will look to serve the following areas and its surrounding counties: Florence, Selma, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden, Anniston, and Montgomery.

"March of Dimes is there for families throughout their pregnancies, even when access to high-quality care is out of reach," said Ashley Toms, Executive Director, March of Dimes. "We are uniquely positioned through purpose-driven partnerships, like with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, to serve people in underserved communities. Our Mom and Baby Mobile Health Center aims to improve birth outcomes by addressing access to care and social drivers of health, while providing wraparound clinical and community services, like nutrition, mental health, housing, and more. The Center will facilitate partnerships across multiple sectors in order to meet women and families in their communities, minimizing barriers to accessing care."

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has insured Alabamians for over 88 years. Blue Cross offers coverage plans to corporations, individuals and the senior market. For more information about Blue Cross, visit AlabamaBlue.com. Connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more up-to-date information.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.