Bee Long, Director of AWER Director of Community Services, introduced Ms. Adenike MacDonald, Program Manager and third-year PhD candidate in epidemiology and biostatistics at UGA. Her organization is a part of the Center for Maternal Health Equity (CMHE) at Morehouse School of Medicine. Also Bee introduced Ms. Nandela Haynes, Program Navigator and a Doula at the CMHE.

This meeting covered two primary initiatives: Project IMPACT (Improving Preconceptions, Actions, and Choices for Tomorrow), led in Georgia by Nandela (is a multi-state preconception counseling research program, and the Perinatal Patient Navigator (PPN) Program. The overarching theme was addressing Black maternal health disparities in the United States through community-engaged research, education, and advocacy.

Adenike emphasized Maternal Health Equity holds the principle that every person deserves a healthy pregnancy regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or geography. Services by the CMHE include:

• Preconception Counseling: Identifying and addressing health risk factors before pregnancy occurs to improve maternal and infant outcomes
• Reproductive Justice: A framework asserting that systemic inequities, not biology, drive disparate maternal health outcomes
• Community-Based Implementation: Delivering health programs through trusted grassroots organizations rather than clinical settings to improve access and trust
• Perinatal Patient Navigation: A support model providing continuous, personalized guidance to birthing persons from early pregnancy through postpartum
• Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): Non-medical factors such as housing, food security, education, and mental health that significantly influence health outcomes. This term was (invented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - the CDC) is broadly applied to health services and issues in lower income and racially diverse areas. As an example: 93% of assessed clients experienced at least one social determinant of health challenge, including housing insecurity, food insecurity, and mental health issues.

Adenike, speaking to the scope and range of Center, said that while it is headquartered at Morehouse School of Medicine - MSM, its projects extend across the southeastern United States.

Both Adenike and Nandella noted statistical evidence that B lack women in the U.S. are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and up to 84% of maternal deaths are preventable. Accordingly, the Center operates through five strategic pillars: research, community partnerships, education and training, policy and advocacy, and health justice. And Nandella commenting on Project IMPACT noted the focus on preconception health across Georgia, and also in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, targeting 750 participants with 8 counseling sessions and 3 assessments each. The Perinatal Patient Navigator Program provides continuous support from 16 weeks of gestation through 9 months postpartum, addressing both medical and social needs. And both also cited the need for community-based organizations are because they are trusted, beyond traditional maternal health programs that begin during pregnancy, Project IMPACT intervenes before conception, helping individuals improve cardiovascular health through education on healthy eating, physical activity, chronic disease management, and other community-identified health topics.

The program is being implemented across 11 active community-based organization (CBO) partners in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with a goal of enrolling 750 participants who receive 3 assessments and 8 preconception counseling sessions. Participants flagged for mental health concerns, disability, or financial strain receive referrals and resources. A notable feature is the intentional inclusion of fathers and male partners, recognizing that sperm health and paternal wellbeing directly influence pregnancy outcomes — a topic historically considered taboo in many communities.

Early testimonials and exit interviews have shown meaningful behavioral changes, including increased uptake of STI testing, genetic testing for sickle cell trait, and improved physical activity and nutrition habits. Year 5 of the project is dedicated entirely to sustainability planning, during which each site will develop a customized program model based on community-specific priorities and feedback gathered through the Regional Advisory Board (RAB) and annual strategy sessions.

Some facts :

• Adenike confirmed that eligibility spans reproductive ages 18–44 per Amer College of OB-GYN guidelines.
• Most participants in Year 1 were in the interconception stage (ages 27–35), while Year 3 has seen a shift toward the 18–34 age range. Five men per site are included in quantitative surveys each year, growing to 75 men across three years.
• Participants do not need insurance to participate.
• The Black Maternal Health Pilot Program, a partnership between CARE and CMHE, enrolled 150 mothers in the Atlanta area and Southwest Georgia.
• Key outcomes and costs for services received: $57,600 in meal deliveries, $30,000 in transportation (Lyft) credits, and $300,000 in total cash assistance ($1,500 per mother and $500 per navigator). Of 187 clients assessed at intake, 93% experienced at least one social determinant of health challenge: 63.3% reported housing insecurity, 53.5% faced food insecurity, 45.9% experienced mental health challenges, and 5.8% reported domestic violence. Nearly 70% of clients reported mental health or stress issues during the program period
• Nandela Haynes noted that in July alone, she personally attended eight births, illustrating the significant unmet demand. The broader context shared was that Atlanta sees approximately 25,000 births per year, with a 20% poverty rate, underscoring the scale of need far exceeding current program capacity.