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News / 2026 Maternal and Infant Health Convening: Navigating Pathways Forward 

2026 Maternal and Infant Health Convening: Navigating Pathways Forward 

Published Mar 12, 2026

The 2026 Maternal and Infant Health Convening: Navigating Pathways Forward, held March 4-5 in Chesterfield, Mo., offered two days filled with urgency, honesty and a shared commitment to transforming maternal and infant health in Missouri.  

Co-hosted by the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative and the Uplift Connection, and co-sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Foundation for Health and Missouri Hospital Association, the convening brought together clinicians, community leaders, policymakers, doulas, researchers and advocates from across the state and beyond.  

From the opening keynote to the final breakout sessions, one theme echoed across every room: despite the challenges, we push forward with passion, resilience and collaboration. 

The convening opened with a keynote address from Michael Warren, M.D., MPH, FAAP, chief medical and health officer at the March of Dimes. During this time of change in the health care landscape, Dr. Warren discussed the historical progress of maternal and infant care in the U.S., while also examining current national and state-level challenges and opportunities. 

The “Missouri in Action” panel captured this energy. Leaders from clinical, community and policy spaces described how the state is building a more connected maternal health ecosystem, noting that “strong clinical–community stakeholder relationships” are the backbone of Missouri’s emerging statewide maternal health plan. 

That momentum is visible in the work happening across the state, and there is opportunity to engage across these statewide initiatives. 

  • a maternal health care integration model with reimbursement recommendations 
  • a focus on addressing rural maternal-infant health gaps  
  • development of a clinical-community integration curriculum  
  • integration of the one-year postpartum pathway guidance  
  • supporting better conversations about the five leading causes of maternal mortality through the Ask Me 5 campaign 

These efforts reflect a growing recognition that maternal health isn’t just a clinical issue — it’s a systems issue. The Georgia Case Study panel reinforced the idea that collaboration is a catalyst for change. Their Maternal Health Vitality Think Tank — a multisector collaborative spanning philanthropy, public health, health care and community organizations — offered a compelling model for statewide alignment. 

 “When we invest together, we multiply outcomes.” 

It was a reminder that no single agency, funder or sector can transform maternal health alone. Real change happens when systems move in concert. 

Throughout the breakout sessions, participants explored the practical tools and human-centered approaches needed to make these system-level shifts real. Presenters emphasized the importance of the following. 

  • communication that restores dignity, especially in perinatal and postpartum care where systems often depersonalize the experience 
  • a prepared and supported workforce, equipped with the competencies needed for today’s maternal health landscape 
  • lived experience as expertise, particularly in sessions led by individuals navigating medication-assisted treatment (MAT) access, breastfeeding grief or housing instability 
  • data as a shared resource, not a siloed asset — a theme echoed in discussions about community-based data sharing and equitable decision-making 

In between panels and breakout sessions, MO PQC shared a preview of Ask Me 5 resources for patient audiences. In the coming months, MO PQC will release Ask Me 5 videos, patient personas, social media posts and an appointment checklist — all created to introduce Ask Me 5 and its five key questions to the general public to increase knowledge and awareness of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Missouri.   

The conversations were honest about the challenges — deserts of care, fragmented systems, persistent inequities — but equally committed to building something better. 

If there was one thread tying the convening together, it was this: Change happens when we refuse to look away, when we collaborate boldly and when we center the people most affected. 

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