Most postpartum moms in Arkansas don’t have follow-up visit after behavioral health event

More than half of postpartum mothers in Arkansas who experience an acute mental health or other behavioral health event requiring an emergency room visit or inpatient stay do not have a follow-up outpatient visit, a new ACHI analysis finds. As part of our continuing efforts to examine each step of the birthing journey in Arkansas, we analyzed outpatient, emergency room, and inpatient behavioral health events among new Arkansas moms. Key findings include:

• 59% of postpartum mothers had no follow-up behavioral health visit within 120 days of an ER visit.
• 56% of postpartum mothers had no follow-up behavioral health visit within 120 days of an inpatient stay. 
• 29% of postpartum mothers had an outpatient visit related to a mental health diagnosis during the 12 months following a birth, compared with 17% during the nine months before a birth.

See the full infographic for more of our findings. For more about maternal and infant health in Arkansas, visit our topic page.

From Our Blog

According to data released in July, Arkansas had the third-highest infant mortality rate in the nation in 2022, and the national rate increased for the first time in 20 years. The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that there were 309 infant deaths in Arkansas in 2021 and 272 in 2022, and nationally there were 19,928 infant deaths in 2021 and 20,577 in 2022. Our team digs into the troubling data on our blog. Visit our topic page for more on maternal and infant health in Arkansas.

Back to School

A new school year is approaching, meaning that young people will soon be walking and cycling between school and home in communities around the state. ACHI Senior Policy Analyst Jennifer Wessel has safety tips on our blog for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.

On Our Podcast

Several risks along the birthing journey contribute to poor outcomes for Arkansas mothers and children. One effective practice for promoting healthy outcomes for babies is breastfeeding, which supports their immune systems and cognitive development. Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not an option for some mothers. In the latest episode of our Wonks at Work podcast, we welcome Tyler Faircloth , program director for the UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Milk Bank, to learn more about a newly available alternative to breastfeeding for mothers and their families.

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Chronic Disease

ACHI Policy Analyst Elizabeth (Izzy) Montgomery participated in a meeting last week to develop the Arkansas Chronic Disease Coordinating Council’s 10-year plan. Montgomery is chair of the council, which seeks to reduce the burden of chronic disease in our state.

Leadership Development

Sandra McGrew, APR , ACHI’s director of external relations, recently spoke to the community leaders and economic development professionals of tomorrow at UCA’s Community Development Institute. Using examples from ACHI's media outreach efforts, she led a discussion about how to establish an effective media relations strategy.

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Dr. Joe Thompson, ACHI president and CEO