$4 Million Awarded to Advance Work of North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County receives more than $4 million award from Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) to support community-based efforts to improve maternal health outcomes.
FORT WORTH — My Health My Resources of Tarrant County (MHMR) announced today that it has been selected as one of three organizations statewide to receive a first-of-its-kind grant from Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) to support community-based efforts to improve maternal health outcomes.
The award totals $4,081,000 over two years and will advance MHMR’s work as a key partner in the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator (MHA), a transformative initiative focused on reducing severe obstetric complications and improving health outcomes for mothers and babies across North Texas.
The HHS Maternal Health Outcomes program was created to enhance, expand or modify existing maternal health initiatives that prioritize severe obstetric complications, address gaps in maternal health outcomes and strengthen community-based systems so pregnant and postpartum women can access high-quality care. The HHS grant pilot program, allocated through the budget passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, is a data-driven approach to improving maternal health outcomes.
“Everyone has had a mother, some of us are mothers, and we can all recognize the importance of the role of a mom,” said Susan Garnett, CEO of MHMR of Tarrant County. “If we want healthy, thriving families, we must prioritize both the physical and mental health of moms. I’m proud that MHMR and the Maternal Health Accelerator – now with the support of the HHSC’s Maternal Health Outcomes initiative – are providing resources and proven interventions to moms in Tarrant County and across the region to support that mission.”
A community-based approach to maternal health
MHMR provides a broad continuum of services across Tarrant and surrounding counties addressing mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use and early childhood intervention.
MHMR’s services and position in Tarrant County and Fort Worth create a unique opportunity to contribute to the region’s maternal health efforts. The organization provides resources to support expecting mothers, families and young children through programs including Help Me Grow and Help Me Thrive of North Texas. The new state investment will build on that community-based infrastructure by expanding its family navigator and nurse visiting program – a best-in-class home-visit model across the metroplex.
Building on the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator
MHMR’s work on maternal and infant outcomes is a key component of the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator. The accelerator grew out of the Tarrant County Maternal & Infant Health Coalition, which Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker first convened in September 2022 to bring leaders together to address the city’s critical health challenges impacting moms and babies.
“MHMR’s deep roots in our community give us an important foundation for reaching moms and families where they are and connecting them to the care they need,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. “This investment from the state is an incredibly meaningful step forward – for both MHMR and for the broader Maternal Health Accelerator – as we work together to improve outcomes for mothers and babies across North Texas.”
Today, the MHA is led by the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation, My Health My Resources of Tarrant County, and powered by the Child Poverty Action Lab. These five organizations lead the MHA’s goals, coordinate partner activities and deploy research-driven interventions with the more-than 200 institutions across the metroplex who participate in the MHA.
The MHA has set a goal of reducing severe obstetric complications by more than 20% in three years while developing sustainable models that align financial incentives with improved health outcomes for mothers and babies. Since December 2024, 14 philanthropic partners have committed nearly $25 million to support the bold initiative.
Fort Worth, Tarrant County and North Texas have long faced significant challenges in maternal and infant health outcomes. The MHA was created in part to address those disparities by bringing health systems, academic institutions, government, philanthropy, and community organizations together around shared goals. The HHS grant represents the latest significant investment in the region’s collaborative approach to maternal health.
About the North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator
The North Texas Maternal Health Accelerator (MHA) is an unprecedented regional coalition — led by TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine and UT Southwestern Medical Center — working to reduce severe obstetric complications (SOCs) by 20% across Dallas and Tarrant Counties. Launched with 11 Texas foundations, the State of Texas, over 120 partner organizations, and the leadership of Mayor Mattie Parker, MHA deploys evidence-based interventions across the maternal care continuum while pioneering outcome-based payment models that align financial incentives with better health for mothers.
About My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County (MHMR) provides community-based services for youth and adults with mental health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and substance use disorders, as well as babies and young children with developmental delays. MHMR uses a person-centered care approach and partners with community organizations to provide services and a hopeful future. MHMR is a unit of local government.