Deadline: 20-Jul-2026
The Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT) Program is a funding initiative supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve the ability of healthcare providers and first responders to recognize, stabilize, and manage maternal health emergencies in non-delivery and low-resource healthcare settings. The program focuses on workforce training, maternal emergency preparedness, quality improvement, and the implementation of evidence-based maternal safety practices.
With an expected FY 2026 funding allocation of $3 million under HRSA-26-112, the initiative supports the development of a national interdisciplinary maternal emergency training program and practical implementation strategies that help healthcare facilities adopt maternal safety protocols, improve referral systems, and strengthen emergency response capabilities.
What Is the Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT) Program?
The Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT) Program is a national maternal health workforce development initiative designed to improve emergency preparedness and response for pregnant and postpartum women.
The program addresses critical gaps in maternal emergency care, particularly in healthcare environments where obstetric services are not routinely available. These settings often encounter maternal emergencies infrequently, yet providers must be prepared to recognize and manage life-threatening situations quickly and effectively.
The initiative supports the development of standardized training programs and operational strategies that improve maternal health outcomes across diverse healthcare settings.
About the Funding Opportunity
The Maternal Health Emergency Management Training Program is offered under:
- Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-26-112
- Funding Agency: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- Fiscal Year: FY 2026
- Total Expected Funding: $3,000,000
The program seeks organizations capable of improving maternal health emergency preparedness through training, implementation support, and quality improvement initiatives.
Why the MHEMT Program Matters
Maternal health emergencies can occur in any healthcare setting, including facilities that do not routinely provide obstetric care.
Challenges addressed by the program include:
- Limited maternal emergency training opportunities
- Growing shortages of obstetric services
- Increasing numbers of counties without hospital-based maternity care
- Delayed recognition of maternal emergencies
- Inconsistent referral and transfer processes
- Workforce readiness gaps in non-delivery settings
- Variations in maternal emergency response practices
Improving preparedness in these environments can help reduce severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality while ensuring timely access to appropriate care.
Program Goals and Objectives
The MHEMT Program seeks to strengthen maternal healthcare systems through workforce education, preparedness planning, and quality improvement.
Key objectives include:
- Developing a standardized maternal emergency training program
- Improving recognition of maternal health emergencies
- Strengthening early warning and screening systems
- Enhancing emergency stabilization and management practices
- Supporting timely referral and transfer processes
- Expanding access to high-quality maternal healthcare
- Improving maternal safety outcomes
- Reducing severe maternal morbidity
- Reducing maternal mortality
- Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration
- Supporting value-based maternal healthcare
- Promoting consistent care across healthcare settings
Key Focus Areas
Maternal Health Emergency Preparedness
The program focuses on ensuring healthcare providers can rapidly identify and respond to maternal emergencies.
Areas of emphasis include:
- Emergency recognition
- Risk assessment
- Clinical stabilization
- Escalation of care
- Emergency response coordination
Early Warning Signs and Screening
Training programs will improve the ability of providers to identify early signs of maternal complications.
Potential focus areas include:
- Hypertensive disorders
- Obstetric hemorrhage
- Sepsis
- Cardiovascular complications
- Mental health emergencies
- Postpartum complications
Workforce Development
The initiative supports evidence-informed training programs that increase workforce readiness across multiple healthcare disciplines.
Goals include:
- Building clinical confidence
- Standardizing emergency response protocols
- Enhancing interdisciplinary teamwork
- Improving patient safety practices
Maternal Safety and Quality Improvement
The program promotes implementation of proven maternal safety practices through structured quality improvement approaches.
Focus areas include:
- Patient safety protocols
- Clinical workflow improvements
- Care coordination systems
- Facility preparedness assessments
- Continuous quality improvement activities
The Two Core MHEMT Initiatives
The program is built around two major initiatives designed to improve maternal emergency preparedness nationwide.
Initiative 1: National Maternal Emergency Training Program
This initiative focuses on creating or expanding a standardized maternal health emergency training program.
The training program should:
- Be nationally accessible
- Be freely available to participants
- Support interdisciplinary healthcare teams
- Provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits
- Provide Continuing Education (CE) credits
- Address maternal emergency preparedness
- Improve workforce readiness
The goal is to increase the number of healthcare providers trained in maternal emergency response.
Initiative 2: AIM Patient Safety Bundle Implementation Strategies
The second initiative focuses on translating existing AIM resources into practical operational tools.
Applicants are expected to develop implementation approaches that help facilities adopt:
- AIM Patient Safety Bundles
- Maternal safety resource kits
- Emergency preparedness workflows
- Referral and transfer systems
- Quality improvement strategies
The objective is to make existing maternal safety resources more usable in healthcare settings where obstetric care is not routinely provided.
What Are AIM Patient Safety Bundles?
AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) Patient Safety Bundles are evidence-based practices designed to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce preventable complications.
These bundles provide structured approaches to:
- Maternal emergency response
- Clinical communication
- Risk identification
- Care coordination
- Quality improvement
The MHEMT Program encourages applicants to adapt these resources for use in low-resource and non-delivery settings.
Target Healthcare Settings
The program prioritizes healthcare environments where maternal emergencies may occur but specialized obstetric services are limited or unavailable.
Examples include:
- Emergency departments
- Critical access hospitals
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Rural health facilities
- Community health centers
- Urgent care settings
- Non-delivery hospitals
- Low-resource healthcare facilities
These settings often rely on clinicians who do not routinely provide obstetric care but may be the first point of contact during a maternal emergency.
Healthcare Professionals Who Benefit
The training program is designed for interdisciplinary healthcare teams.
Target participants include:
- Emergency physicians
- Family physicians
- Nurses
- Advanced practice providers
- Physician assistants
- Paramedics
- Emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
- First responders
- Rural healthcare providers
- Community health clinicians
The program seeks to improve coordination among all professionals involved in maternal emergency response.
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include organizations capable of conducting maternal safety, quality improvement, and workforce development initiatives.
Eligible entities include:
- Domestic public organizations
- Domestic private organizations
- Nonprofit organizations
- For-profit organizations
- Healthcare organizations
- Educational institutions
- Research organizations
- Maternal health improvement organizations
Applicants should demonstrate expertise in:
- Maternal health
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Healthcare workforce training
- Quality improvement
- Clinical education
- Patient safety initiatives
Who Is Not Eligible?
The following are not eligible:
- Individual applicants
Only organizational entities may apply for this funding opportunity.
Expected Program Outcomes
The MHEMT Program seeks measurable improvements in maternal health preparedness and workforce readiness.
Expected outcomes include:
- Increased number of maternal emergency trainings delivered
- Increased number of healthcare providers trained
- Improved emergency response readiness
- Greater adoption of AIM Patient Safety Bundles
- Improved maternal emergency referral systems
- Enhanced transfer coordination processes
- Increased participation in maternal quality improvement initiatives
- Better maternal health outcomes
- Reduced maternal morbidity and mortality risks
How the Program Works
Step 1: Develop Training Infrastructure
Organizations create or enhance a national maternal emergency training program.
Step 2: Adapt Existing AIM Resources
Applicants refine and operationalize existing maternal safety resources rather than creating entirely new materials.
Step 3: Pilot Implementation Strategies
Organizations test practical workflows and preparedness strategies in target healthcare settings.
Step 4: Deliver Training Programs
Healthcare professionals receive training and continuing education opportunities.
Step 5: Monitor Outcomes
Programs track implementation success, workforce participation, and quality improvement outcomes.
Important Applicant Considerations
Applicants are expected to:
- Build upon existing maternal health resources
- Avoid duplicating available training materials
- Use evidence-based approaches
- Incorporate quality improvement principles
- Support interdisciplinary collaboration
- Develop practical implementation tools
- Address real-world operational challenges
Proposed solutions should be designed for healthcare environments staffed primarily by non-obstetrical clinicians.
Tips for a Strong Application
Organizations can strengthen their proposals by:
- Demonstrating maternal health expertise
- Showing experience in workforce training
- Leveraging existing AIM resources
- Presenting scalable implementation strategies
- Including measurable outcomes
- Demonstrating quality improvement experience
- Highlighting interdisciplinary partnerships
- Addressing rural and underserved populations
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid the following application weaknesses:
- Duplicating existing training resources
- Failing to address low-resource settings
- Ignoring workforce readiness challenges
- Providing vague implementation plans
- Lacking measurable outcomes
- Overlooking referral and transfer systems
- Failing to demonstrate sustainability
- Excluding quality improvement components
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT) Program?
The MHEMT Program is a HRSA-funded initiative that supports maternal emergency preparedness training and implementation strategies for healthcare providers working in non-delivery and low-resource settings.
How much funding is available?
The program has an expected FY 2026 funding allocation of $3 million under HRSA-26-112.
What are the main goals of the program?
The program aims to improve maternal emergency preparedness, workforce training, referral coordination, patient safety, and maternal health outcomes.
Who can apply?
Domestic public and private nonprofit or for-profit organizations with expertise in maternal health, workforce training, quality improvement, or related fields are eligible to apply.
Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individual applicants are not eligible under this funding opportunity.
What healthcare settings are targeted?
The program focuses on emergency departments, critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers, rural facilities, and other non-delivery or low-resource clinical settings.
What are AIM Patient Safety Bundles?
AIM Patient Safety Bundles are evidence-based maternal safety practices designed to improve clinical care, emergency preparedness, and maternal health outcomes.
Conclusion
The Maternal Health Emergency Management Training (MHEMT) Program represents a significant investment in improving maternal emergency preparedness across the United States. By strengthening workforce training, expanding access to standardized emergency response education, and adapting proven maternal safety resources for low-resource healthcare environments, the initiative seeks to reduce severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality while improving care for pregnant and postpartum women.
Organizations with expertise in maternal health, quality improvement, workforce development, and clinical education have an opportunity to play a critical role in building a stronger, safer, and more coordinated maternal healthcare system through this HRSA-funded initiative.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
