In the News
Research, partnerships, and policy work — building the case and the coalition to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half.
- October 2026
What 3,000 employers and parents in America's Heartland told us about paid parental leave
A new HMHBA white paper from economist Emily Oster and Rebecca Jack finds mothers absorb the heaviest burden of inadequate parental leave, while employers in Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, and Nebraska find paid leave far more affordable than they expected.
Read more ↗ - October 2026
Employers, Employees and Parental Leave: Survey Evidence from Four Heartland States
The full HMHBA white paper by Emily Oster and Rebecca Jack: what 1,003 employers and 2,002 parents in Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, and Nebraska told us about the real cost of paid parental leave, who bears the burden when it's missing, and what employers and states can do.
Read more ↗ - October 2026
As the White House launches a Women's Health Task Force, three in four Americans back expanding access to midwives
New Aaru research for HMHBA finds 75% support state funding to train more midwives, especially in rural areas, and 73% support making midwife care easier to access under state law.
Read more ↗ - October 2026
New survey: Americans are open to midwives, and safety is what matters most
An Aaru Lumen survey for HMHBA finds 63% of respondents favorable toward midwives, comfort rising from 51% to 64% once they learn about licensing and certification, and roughly three in four backing policies to expand midwifery care.
Read more ↗ - October 2026
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (HMHBA) Announces $20 Million in State Grants for Arkansas and Kentucky
HMHBA announced $20 million in catalytic funding for maternal health in Arkansas and Kentucky, its first state-level investments toward cutting the U.S. maternal death rate in half in five years. Founder Olivia Walton made the announcement onstage at the Heartland Summit with Governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Andy Beshear. Each state will receive $10 million over five years.
Read more ↗ - October 2026
The Hill: The Unifying Pro-Family Policy Hiding in Plain Sight
A new national survey of 1,000 voters finds 86% of Americans say mothers should not be dying from preventable causes in childbirth, and all 15 policy solutions tested won majority support. Olivia Walton and Kellyanne Conway call on the Senate to pass the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act and the NIH IMPROVE Act.
Read more ↗ - September 2026
Motherly: This Handy Voting Guide Will Help You Pick the Best Candidate for Maternal Health
Motherly spotlights Vote Like a Mother, the free, nonpartisan voter guide from Chamber of Mothers and Healthy Moms Healthy Babies America. Click any state to see its maternal mortality rate next to the records and platforms of its 2026 governor candidates. “It’s unacceptable that where you live still determines whether you survive having a baby in this country,” says executive director Robin Reck.
Read more ↗ - September 2026
TODAY Show: Inside New Campaign to Cut Maternal Death Rate in Half
Founder Olivia Walton and president Dr. Neel Shah join TODAY to announce that Walton and her husband are pledging $100 million toward cutting the U.S. maternal death rate in half — 87% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, according to the CDC. “Investing in maternal health care is the single most strategic thing we can do for the future of American prosperity,” Walton says.
Watch the clip → - September 2026
Olivia and Tom Walton Commit An Initial $100 Million to Cut U.S. Maternal Deaths in Half
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America announces an initial $100 million, five-year commitment from Olivia and Tom Walton to accelerate efforts to cut maternal deaths in half across the United States. The investment will fund state matching grants, high-impact partnerships, and the infrastructure needed to move proven maternal health interventions into practice at scale.
Read more ↗ - September 2026
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America pledges $100M to cut US maternal mortality rate in half
The Associated Press covers the $100 million commitment from Olivia Walton and her husband behind the bipartisan campaign to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate in half within five years.
Read more ↗ - August 2026
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Names Dr. Neel Shah President
Announced via GlobeNewswire: physician-scientist Dr. Neel Shah — former chief medical officer of Maven Clinic and a Harvard Medical School lecturer — becomes president of the bipartisan campaign founded by Olivia Walton to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years.
Read more ↗ - July 2026
New Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America Poll Finds Broad Bipartisan Consensus: Americans Want More Action for Moms and Babies
A national KAConsulting poll of 1,001 registered voters finds maternal health is a rare bipartisan consensus issue: 13 of the 15 policy proposals tested drew at least 80% support, all 15 drew at least 72%, and 79% would be more likely to back a candidate who acts. After voters hear the facts, the share saying maternal health needs improvement rises from 77% to 86%. The release includes remarks from Kellyanne Conway, Executive Director Robin Reck, and founder Olivia Walton.
Read more ↗ - July 2026
Nationwide Survey Analysis: Americans Ready for Action on Maternal Health (July 2026)
The full KAConsulting deck commissioned by Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America — a mixed-mode nationwide survey of 1,001 registered and likely voters, July 12–15, 2026. It covers awareness of maternal health challenges, policy resonance across party, region, and age, and the implications for family, rural, and economic policy.
Read more ↗ - July 2026
Healthy Moms Healthy Babies America Appoints Robin Reck as Executive Director
Announced via GlobeNewswire: veteran communications and coalition strategist Robin Reck joins from Emerson Collective to lead the bipartisan campaign founded by Olivia Walton to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years.
Read more ↗ - June 2026
Father’s Day Is for Recommitting to the Job
In The Dispatch, former NFL tight end Benjamin Watson writes that being an advocate for mothers is part of a father’s role — on Father’s Day and every day after it.
Read more ↗ - June 2026
Maternal Health Is a Family Issue: A Father's Day Open Letter
A joint initiative by BirthFUND, 4Kira4Moms, and Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, co-signed by fathers, partners, and allies who believe maternal health is a family cause that needs every voice, including ours.
Read more ↗ - June 2026
Why Is Giving Birth More Dangerous in America Than It Was 40 Years Ago?
Katie Couric sits down with Olivia Walton, founder of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, on why the U.S. has the highest maternal death rate in the developed world — and the prenatal, postpartum, and workforce solutions that can reverse it.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
Axios: Health Care's Solvable Problem - Maternal Mortality
Leaders, including HHS Chief Counselor Chris Klomp, convened to discuss how to address U.S. maternal mortality.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
Olivia Walton launches campaign to reduce nation’s maternal mortality rate by 50% in 5 years
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies launches with an ambitious plan to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate by 50% in 5 years.
Read more ↗ 
May 2026Govs. Sarah Sanders and Wes Moore join Olivia Walton on Meet the Press
A bipartisan call to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years — and how states can lead.
Watch →- May 2026
HHS Announces Heartland Forward MOU to Advance Maternal Health
HHS and Heartland Forward will exchange information, align strategies, and collaborate on evidence-based initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and strengthen care across the lifespan, including before, during, and after pregnancy.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America launches national campaign to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years
Olivia Walton, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders unveil a bipartisan five-year campaign to halve U.S. maternal mortality.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
84% of maternal deaths are preventable: why we're failing America's moms
In an op-ed, Korie Robertson argues that with the vast majority of U.S. maternal deaths preventable, communities — including faith communities — have to step up.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
Bentonville based "think-and-do tank" plans Mother's Day initiative for maternal health
Cara Osborne discusses Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies and the plan to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years, highlighting both the economic impact of poor maternal health outcomes on local economies.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
Bipartisan panel highlights maternal health needs
Axios Northwest Arkansas reports on a bipartisan panel spotlighting state-level maternal health needs alongside the launch of the national campaign.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
This Mother’s Day, the Church Cannot Be Silent About Black Maternal Deaths
Black maternal mortality in Arkansas is a moral and justice crisis, and the Black Church must lead in advocating for compassionate, community-rooted maternal healthcare that protects the dignity and lives of mothers and babies.
Read more ↗ - May 2026
A Mother's Day letter to mamas quietly breaking: the desert is not the end
Singer Christine D'Clario shares her own postpartum depression and the case for stronger maternal mental health support across the country.
Read more ↗ - April 2026
OPINION | OLIVIA WALTON: A five-year sprint to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half
Across the country, mothers are dying at rates that would have shocked our grandmothers. Nationally, our maternal mortality rate has more than doubled over the past 40 years.
Read more ↗ - March 2026
New national research finds Americans ready to act on maternal health
A nationwide poll commissioned by Heartland Forward shows broad bipartisan support for expanding maternal health investment.
Read more ↗ - March 2026
A Call to Action: Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America
Heartland Forward MCH CPP establishes guidelines and provides an actionable framework to cut U.S. maternal mortality in half — to be achieved through policy reform, workforce development initiatives and proven changes to care delivery.
Read more ↗