ASCEND WI Initiatives
Our central hypothesis is that creating housing stability and building trust will significantly reduce maternal health disparities in Southeastern WI.

OUR GOAL: (A)ddressing key (S)ocial-structural risk factors for ra(C)ial disparities in mat(E)rNal morbi(D)ity in Southeastern (WI)sconsin (ASCEND WI) aims to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal morbidity in southeastern Wisconsin. 

We will test this hypothesis through four specific aims:
  • Partner with community organizations to mitigate the impact of social-structural risk factors on maternal health
  • Develop and evaluate interventions to address social-structural risk factors for racial disparities in maternal health
  • Disseminate findings to relevant stakeholders and policy makers
  • Train a diverse group of early stage scientists in maternal health equity research​​
We will accomplish these aims through four initiatives:
  • BUNDLE (Building trust and uniting teams through doula partnership)
  • HOME (Reducing housing instability and neighborhood deprivation effect on maternal health)
  • ENHANCE-M Education (Early Career-Centered Enrichment to Advance Research Careers in Maternal Health)
  • TEAM (Transdisciplinary and Equitable Approach to Maternal Health)​

BUNDLE

​Building TrUst and UNiting Teams Through DouLa partnErship

Aim 1: Develop an integrated prenatal care model of medical providers and doulas

Aim 2: Compare the effectiveness of the integrated prenatal care model to standard prenatal care in improving healthcare engagement and trust and reducing adverse maternal outcomes.

​Aim 3: Disseminate findings to scholarly and community-based forums, and actively pursue opportunities for systems- and policy-level change.

Study Population: 412 Black/African-American pregnant people from the city of Milwaukee

HOME

​Reducing HOusing instability and neighborhood deprivation effect on Maternal hEalth 
​
Aim 1: To understand the personal and neighborhood characteristics and services that contribute to increased housing stability among low-income pregnant people to inform programs to improve housing stability.

Aim 2: To explore the impact of housing instability and neighborhood conditions on the physical and mental health of pregnant people, allostatic load, and pregnancy outcomes.

Aim 3: To identify the service needs of pregnant people in each of the housing statuses: homeless, in rental housing without subsidies, doubled up, with housing subsidies, and in supportive housing.

Study Population: 589 low-income birthing people that have housing instability​​

ENHANCE-M

Early Career-CeNtered EnricHment to AdvaNce Research CarEers in Maternal Health​

​Aim 1: Recruit postdoctoral fellows and ESI from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds to participate in a 24-month maternal health clinical research program focused on community-engaged research and clinical trials. 
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​Aim 2: Implement and evaluate the 24-month maternal health clinical research program.

Cohort Schedule:
Cohort 1: September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2026
Cohort 2: September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2028
Cohort 3: September 1, 2028 – August 31, 2028​

TEAM

Transdisciplinary and Equitable Approach to Maternal health 
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Aim 1: Create a TEAM that includes experts from research, clinical, population health, and community settings to generate a conceptual model of maternal health disparities in SE WI.

Aim 2: Facilitate engagement across all project components to ensure equitable, trusting relationships between all members of the Maternal Health Center of Excellence.
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