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UT System, state health officials unite to curb Texas’ high rates of infant mortality and prematurity

AUSTIN—Far too many Texas babies are born prematurely, potentially resulting in lifelong disability, high medical costs and sometimes even early death.  Prematurity and infant mortality rates are especially high in African American communities, where rates of prematurity and infant mortality are 30 percent and 100 percent higher respectively than the overall Texas state average.

That’s why The University of Texas System, through funding from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), is partnering with UT Health Northeast in Tyler to coordinate and provide support to the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB). This statewide collaborative of over 150 healthcare providers, scientists,  hospitals, state agencies, advocates and insurers will design projects, collect research data and develop strategies and evaluation plans to improve birth outcomes in Texas.

TCHMB includes state agencies such as the DSHS, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Family and Protective Services, the Health and Human Services Commission’s Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities; as well as organizations such as the Texas Medical Association, Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Texas Pediatrics Society, Texas Hospital Association and the March of Dimes.

 “Texas must do better to improve prematurity and mortality rates of all babies,” said David Lakey, M.D., UT System associate vice chancellor for population health. “This partnership with DSHS and the TCHMB will lead to healthier and happier lives for Texas babies and their families.”

The UT System, in partnership with UT Health Northeast in Tyler, will provide administrative and research support for the collaborative including the establishment of a TCHMB website, organizing effective coalition meetings, providing comprehensive evaluations of the research findings, and coordinating and collaborating on publishing the findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The TCHMB will also help recruit and mentor hospital staff throughout the state to carry out birth-outcome improvement projects.

The UT System team will include researchers who will help manage the project such as the TCHMB’s data, assess its quality and consistency and communicate with the Department of State Health Services regarding data structure and quality.  The team will work with and provide oversight to graduate students who will also assist on the project.

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and an enrollment of more than 217,000, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates almost two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $16.9 billion (FY 2016) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates – and more than 70,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

News Contact Information

Ken Ma: kma@utsystem.edu   • 512-499-4778 (direct) • 954-621-7961 (cell)  
Jenny LaCoste-Caputo: jcaputo@utsystem.edu  • 512-499-4361(direct) • 512-574-5777 (cell)