Raising the Bar for Maternal Health Equity and Excellence responds to the awareness that childbearing families experience extensive, deeply inequitable—yet preventable—mortality and morbidity. This presentation describes the rationale, origin, process, opportunities for improvement and extensive resources of the project. The project's framework identifies fundamental roles that offer pathways to impact and build health: Employ and support a diverse health workforce; engage with individuals and organizations in the community, prioritizing those most affected by inequities; advocate for and invest in health equity.

To adapt this framework and provide actionable strategies for maternal health equity and excellence, the National Partnership worked with three organizational partners and an Expert Advisory Group. The resulting report provides guidance for c-suite and board leaders to assess their organizations and identify priority areas for action. The report presents diverse recommendations for improvement that executive leaders can select as areas tailored to the needs of their organizations. An implementation toolbox provides case studies of settings that are taking steps to raise the bar; detailed guidance for improvement; a resource directory; operational guidance on a variety of topics, such as performance measurement and payment reform; and other tools and resources to support improvement. 

The report is available at https://www.nationalpartnership.org/raisingthebar/; toolboxes are available at https://www.natonalpartnership.org/rtbtoolbox/.