Project Summary:
The Wisconsin Medical Society, in partnership with the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Nurses Association, will lead an expansion of the Wisconsin Maternal Care Education Program. The expansion will provide interprofessional continuing education to healthcare professionals (HCPs) across Wisconsin, with a focus on improving the mental health care of birthing people who have been economically or socially marginalized.
Perinatal mental health is a priority in Wisconsin given that it was the cause of 38% of pregnancy-related deaths in 2020 (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2024). Disparities in perinatal mental health, care access, and quality of care further elevate this as a health need. This project expands on a 2024 pilot program that delivered interprofessional education at two Wisconsin health systems.
The pilot reached 48 HCPs and was associated with a 31% increase in perinatal mental health screening of Black patients at one site. The expansion has three main elements:
- Creation of turnkey education modules for HCPs statewide. Modules will be approved for continuing education credits for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other HCPs, as well as performance improvement projects
- Expansion of the pilot program resource database with attention to health literacy and digital equity
- Systems change approaches
Clinicians and community members with lived experience shaped the pilot program, and the expansion will use the same model, with the advisory committee guiding curriculum design, speaker selection, and content. Program content will be continuously available online to over 200,000 HCPs in Wisconsin, with the goal of 500 HCPs engaging with the educational modules during the grant period and implementing the program in at least six interprofessional care teams. WisMed, PSW, and WNA will lead marketing efforts to ensure broad reach and will support reaccreditation beyond the grant period.
Community Partners: UW-Madison Division of Internal Medicine, Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Nurses Association