Maternal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives Initiative

For information on the current program, visit Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives Programs (2022 - 2027)

Through the Maternal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives (MICHC) initiative, New York State is working to improve maternal and infant health outcomes for high-need, low income women and their families. Key priority outcomes include reducing:

  • Preterm Births, births occurring before 37 weeks gestation (of pregnancy);
  • Low Birth Weight, an infant weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth;
  • Infant Mortality, an infant death from the time of birth until the day of the infant’s first birthday; and
  • Maternal Mortality, death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, due to complications of the pregnancy.

There are 22 MICHC projects across the state collaborating with community partners to implement strategies to:

  • Find and engage high-need women and their families in health insurance, health care and other needed community services, such as mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence:
  • Assess the woman’s needs and make referrals to services to address those needs;
  • Coordinate services across community programs; and
  • Promote opportunities for women and families to engage in healthy behaviors.

MICHC strategies and activities address maternal and infant health behaviors across the life course.....

  • Preconception: staying healthy before pregnancy, whether or not a pregnancy is planned.v
  • Prenatal: staying healthy during pregnancy.
  • Postpartum: staying healthy just after birth.
  • Interconception: staying healthy between pregnancies;

.....and at multiple levels:

  • Individual/Family: using Community Health Workers to assist women and their families to access needed health and social services.
  • Community: working to improve community conditions and opportunities that make it easier for people to make healthy choices.
  • Organizational: working with health and social service agencies and other community organizations to promote healthy behaviors and improve access to resources and services.

Reports