TITLE
Title
HHS-PUBLIC HEALTH NC PUBLIC HEALTH ALLIANCE: THRIVING HEARTS $40,000
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Courtney McFadden
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BACKGROUND
Background
Guilford County Health and Human Services Public Health is participating as a Local Health Department Champion in the statewide Thriving Hearts initiative, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). This collaborative effort, led in partnership with the NC Alliance of Public Health Agencies, aims to improve maternal health outcomes by creating conditions that support not only safe pregnancies, but long-term health and well-being for mothers and birthing people.
Through this initiative, Guilford County will partner with local maternity care providers to strengthen care for individuals at risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, with a focus on whole-person, coordinated approaches that improve cardiometabolic health. In addition, the program emphasizes workforce support by providing training to healthcare and public health staff to address burnout and compassion fatigue, helping ensure consistent, respectful, and person-centered care delivery across the system.
A key component of the effort includes expanding the role of Community Health Workers to provide proactive outreach, education, and connection to critical resources. This approach is designed to address social drivers of health, reduce stress, and improve access to services that support healthy pregnancies and positive birth outcomes.
Guilford County is one of ten local health departments across North Carolina selected to participate in this initiative, alongside Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Forsyth, Johnston, Orange, and Person counties. The project is led by Co-Principal Investigators Quintana Stewart, Director of the Orange County Health Department, and Dr. Alison Stuebe of UNC OB/GYN.
The planning phase for this initiative began November 1, 2025, and will continue through March 31, 2026, with implement...
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