Winrock rolls out statewide initiative to improve maternal health in Arkansas
Little Rock, Ark. — Sept. 24, 2025 — Winrock International announced a major new initiative to improve maternal health outcomes in rural Arkansas at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York City. The Arkansas Maternal Health BRIDGE Initiative is one of three major Commitments to Action Winrock unveiled at CGI — its first time participating in the global convening.
The BRIDGE Initiative — short for Building Resources for Integrated Delivery of Global Maternal Empowerment — is a coordinated effort to address Arkansas’s maternal health crisis by expanding access to care, strengthening health system capacity and fostering community support for maternal health. The initiative will pilot in five rural counties across the state, with the goal of scaling statewide.
“Earlier this year in Northwest Arkansas, I had the opportunity to hear powerful voices — including Alice Walton — speak to the urgent need for better healthcare access in rural communities,” said Maqsoda Maqsodi, president and CEO of Winrock International. “Those conversations reinforced what we at Winrock know to be true: Maternal health is foundational to thriving families and resilient communities. Through the BRIDGE Initiative, we’re proud to join forces with partners across Arkansas to build a more equitable system — one that ensures every mother, no matter where she lives, has access to the care and support she needs.”
Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation and the third highest infant mortality rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 45% of counties are classified as “maternity care deserts,” with no birthing facilities or obstetric providers. Women in these areas often travel 30-60 minutes for care — a major barrier to receiving the 10–15 prenatal visits recommended during a healthy pregnancy.
The BRIDGE Initiative will support the expansion of Maternal Life360 HOME, a new feature of Arkansas’s Medicaid expansion program, ARHOME, which provides home visitation and care coordination for women with high-risk pregnancies. Because many rural health systems currently lack the administrative capacity or partnerships to qualify for the program, nearly half of Arkansas counties remain unserved. The BRIDGE Initiative aims to help cover that gap.
“Maternal health is not just a medical issue — it’s a community issue,” said Elizabeth Gomez, associate director of Human & Community Development at Winrock. “The BRIDGE Initiative is about meeting mothers where they are, understanding the social and cultural realities they face, and building systems that support them holistically.”
Winrock will lead a three-year pilot of the BRIDGE Initiative in partnership with hospital systems, Federally Qualified Health Centers, state agencies and national home visiting programs. The initiative will:
- Increase the number of health systems operating evidence-based home visiting programs
- Expand the number of women receiving prenatal and postpartum care through Maternal Life360 HOME
- Improve health-seeking behaviors among women enrolled in the program
In the first year of the program, Winrock will provide consulting services to help health systems in five unserved counties establish home visitation programs and become eligible for Maternal Life360 HOME certification. The initiative will also work to reduce socio-cultural barriers to care and foster community attitudes that support maternal health in homes, workplaces and local institutions.
“This commitment is about closing gaps — geographic, systemic and social,” said Lucy Jodlowska, senior director of U.S. Programs at Winrock. “Through the BRIDGE Initiative, we’re working with partners across Arkansas to ensure that no mother is left behind simply because she lives in a maternity care desert. It’s a bold step toward making maternal health accessible, inclusive and community-driven.”
Contacts:
Elizabeth Gomez, associate director, Human & Community Development: Elizabeth.Gomez@Winrock.org
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