Philips, Amerigroup, CareSource Georgia, and Peach State Health Plan to address maternal health deserts in Georgia with innovative remote patient monitoring technologies

“Amerigroup is proud to collaborate on this important initiative, which aims to significantly improve maternal health outcomes in Georgia through innovative remote monitoring solutions,” said Dr. Truddie Darden, Chief Medical Director for Amerigroup Georgia. “Together, we strive to make transformative progress and have a life-changing impact on vulnerable mothers and babies across the state.”

“Peach State Health Plan is dedicated to moving the needle for Georgian moms by working with strong partners and implementing innovative solutions that support and improve their care,” said Laquanda Brooks, Senior Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Operations at Peach State Health Plan. “Through remote patient monitoring and by taking a personalized approach to care, we’re better positioned to support mothers and their babies and improve maternity outcomes in Georgia.”

Maternal healthcare in the U.S. is a national priority, with 62% of pregnancies identified as high risk for unexpected complications [1], including an 81.3% increase in hypertension and 50% in diabetes [2]. Additionally, over 35% [2] of US counties are maternity care deserts and by 2030, the supply of OB-GYNs in non-metro U.S. areas is projected to only meet 50% of demand [3]. In Georgia, Medicaid covers close to 50% of all births and the state ranks 31st of 40 in maternal mortality [4], prompting the state’s lawmakers to introduce new bills that increase support for Medicaid-eligible families, including new remote technologies that can provide a lifeline in maternal health deserts.

“Our members are working moms, moms who face challenges with childcare or transportation, and moms in rural Georgia who have limited access to healthcare,” said Lisa Pennington, senior manager of population health, CareSource Georgia. “By bringing care right to their homes through connected devices, we’re offering them timely, personalized healthcare that can make a real difference in the health and well-being of moms and babies, no matter where they live in the state.”

“Philips is committed to improving maternal healthcare and ensuring that all expectant women have access to high-quality prenatal and postpartum care,” said Jennifer Law, Maternal Health Leader at Philips. “We enable this through partnerships with innovative organizations like Peach State Health Plan, Amerigroup, and CareSource that share our mission of improving lives. It takes an ecosystem of innovators, providers, payers, and policymakers working together to ensure a healthy pregnancy and start for every mom and child.”

FOR REPORTERS: Patients, providers and payers are available for interviews.