About the Collaborative

History

The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) began officially operating as the state perinatal quality collaborative in 2013. TCHMB started as the Expert Panel advising Healthy Texas Babies, the state infant mortality reduction initiative housed at DSHS.­ In 2015 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, in partnership with UT System, began supporting TCHMB through a three year contract with DSHS. In September 2023, TCHMB transferred to the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin to expand family and child health expertise.  Dr. Deanna Hoelscher serves as lead faculty for TCHMB, taking on the responsibility following her predecessor, Dr. David Lakey. 

Network

TCHMB is a collaboration of over 115 healthcare providers, scientists, hospitals, state agencies, advocates and insurers whose goal is to design projects, collect research data, develop strategies, and evaluation plans to improve birth outcomes in Texas.

 

Mission

The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB) is a multidisciplinary network made up of health professionals throughout the state. Our mission is to advance health care quality, equity and patient safety for all Texas mothers and babies through the collaboration of health and community stakeholders as informed by the voices of the patients we serve.



Goals

  • Reducing preterm birth;

  • Reducing morbidity and mortality for mothers and babies;

  • Eliminating health outcome disparities and inequities for mothers and babies, especially those associated with race and ethnicity;

  • Improving the health outcomes of mothers and babies using the life course approach;

  • Strengthening the involvement of partners/families with maternal and child health; and

  • Improving the health environment for mothers and babies.

 

Interventions

Currently the collaborative is developing two major quality improvement interventions:

  • Provide guidance for initial assessment and to support normothermia with minimal interventions for all infants at birth; and

  • Coordinate emergency care for postpartum patients experiencing signs and symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia.

 

Contacts

TCHMB Email: tchmb@uth.tmc.edu

Tiffni Menendez, MPH — TCHMB Executive Lead: tiffni.menendez@uth@tmc.edu

Kirsten Handler — TCHMB Communications Lead: kirsten.handler@uth.tmc.edu