# Transdisciplinary and Equitable Approach to Maternal health (TEAM)

> **NIH NIH U54** · MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN · 2024 · $155,972

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: TEAM COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COMPONENT
The U.S. spends more on maternity care than any other country, and yet maternal death rates have risen since
2000, and the risk of death from pregnancy-related complications is higher than in any other high-income
country. Black/African American individuals and individuals with lower socioeconomic status disproportionately
bear the burden of these outcomes. Multi-sector, multifactorial solutions are needed to address the root causes
of these disparities, and advance solutions to create equity in maternal health. In our Maternal Health
Research Center of Excellence, we will bring together clinical health professionals, community leaders,
researchers, community-based doulas, policymakers, and individuals who provide housing and resources for
high-risk pregnancies. Our efforts will provide access to housing, build trust, and improve postpartum care, all
grounded in rigorous evaluation that will inform advocacy for sustainable systems- and policy-level change.
Coordinating all of these efforts will require transdisciplinary collaborations to integrate individual disciplines
and address these complex issues. Our Trandisciplinary and Equitable Approach to Maternal health (TEAM)
Community Partnership Component, adapted from a successful Community and Cancer Science Network
Framework, will include perspectives that go beyond the boundaries of disciplinary knowledge and co-develop
solutions that address the root causes of maternal health disparities. Our central hypothesis is that approaches
grounded in deep equity that integrate diverse perspectives will help addressing social-structural contributors
to racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. We will pursue this hypothesis with three specific aims: 1)
Create a TEAM that includes experts from research, clinical, population health, and community settings to
generate a conceptual model of maternal health disparities in Southeastern Wisconsin, 2) Facilitate
engagement across all project components to ensure equitable, trusting relationships between all members of
the Maternal Health Center of Excellence, and 3) Disseminate results of partnership in government,
community, clinical, and academic settings. Short-term, this innovative approach will build bidirectional,
sustained partnerships between diverse groups of individuals dedicated to improving maternal health. Medium-
term, the innovative approaches in our grant will improve maternal health outcomes for our study participants
and inform policies to impact disparities locally and nationwide. Long-term, this equitable approach to
healthcare partnerships promises to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular disease,
eradicating multiple disparities through an integrated healthcare continuum that spans from birth to pregnancy
and beyond.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10908694
- **Project number:** 5U54HD113408-02
- **Recipient organization:** MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Jessica M Olson
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $155,972
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-17 → 2030-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10908694

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10908694, Transdisciplinary and Equitable Approach to Maternal health (TEAM) (5U54HD113408-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10908694. Licensed CC0.

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