Partnership leads to healthier moms and babies, building stronger families

In six rural counties across Indiana, an Indiana University Health nurse is paired with a first-time expectant mother to provide support throughout her pregnancy, birth and the critical early years of a child’s life. Together, the nurse and family navigate important health and developmental milestones, such as monitoring mom’s blood pressure for signs of preeclampsia, connecting her with mental health resources, and supporting safe sleeping practices for the baby. 

More than 800 families have received care and support through IU Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership program throughout the past eight years. The impact is powerful: the number of babies born at full-term and at healthy birthweight and the number of mothers starting to breastfeed exceed the outcomes for other Nurse-Family Partnership programs in Indiana and across the nation. The work is possible due to the commitment of our team members and the partnership and funding from the Indiana Department of Health.

Together, we are tackling one of the state’s most pressing health challenges and making sure these families have access to care.  

IU Health’s program is one of four operated by organizations across the state and is the only program offered by a hospital system in Indiana. The work is one example of a partnership that will help the state continue to support more moms through their first pregnancy and more babies celebrate their first birthday. 

Meeting the challenge

The challenges that moms and babies face are relentless. So we must be, too. 

The state of Indiana continues to focus on improving maternal and infant health, and so does IU Health. In 2025, the state’s infant mortality rate held at 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1900, according to provisional data from the Indiana Department of Health.  The progress reflects years of collaboration among healthcare providers, public health leaders, community organizations and the State of Indiana, which supports programs focused on improving infant and maternal health, such as IU Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership. 

This evidence-based, home-visiting model pairs a first-time expectant mother with a specially trained registered nurse who stays involved from pregnancy until the child’s second birthday. The program is built around three goals: a healthier pregnancy, a healthier child and a more economically secure family. It is free to families who meet income requirements and enroll by 28 weeks of pregnancy in Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange and Owen counties. Those counties have historically had birth outcomes far below the state average. For example, more than 14% of babies were born prematurely in Greene County in 2024, and the infant mortality rate (the number of babies who did not survive per 1,000 births) was 9.6.

Consider these outcomes from participants in the IU Health Nurse-Family Partnership: 

• In 2025, 96% of participating babies were born full term (37 weeks or later), outpacing the statewide program rate of 88.5%.  

• Breastfeeding initiation reached 96.4%, well above the state’s program rate of 85.9% 

Every dollar invested in the Nurse-Family Partnership in Indiana saves an estimated $7.80 in future costs for the highest-risk families, according to the Indiana Department of Health. This return is healthcare affordability in action: fewer preterm births and NICU stays, fewer ER visits, less dependance on child welfare, fewer families in the justice system, and more families standing on their own. This work is at the heart of our mission and commitment at IU Health – to make Indiana among the healthiest states in the nation while leading the way on healthcare affordability.   

Doing the work

Our team is small but mighty, with eight registered nurses and two social workers supporting first-time mothers and babies. The work rests on a simple but powerful idea: healthier pregnancies lead to healthier babies, stronger families and stronger communities — and nurses are uniquely suited to deliver it. This program runs on trust, and few professions are as trusted as nurses; that trust opens the door, and clinical expertise does the rest. An experienced nurse can catch the early signs of a complication in pregnancy, a developmental concern in an infant or an emerging mental health struggle in a new mother, often before any becomes a crisis. Beyond their clinical expertise, the team also helps mothers pursue longer-term goals such as finishing school, accessing job training and securing meaningful employment that puts them on stronger financial footing. For many families, that support is life changing. 

IU Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership program is one example of our commitment to Hoosier moms and babies.  In 2025, IU Health’s Community Impact Investment Fund awarded $3.7 million to four organizations across the state working to improve infant and maternal health. And in Marion County, our multimillion-dollar investment to Cradle Indy is addressing both clinical care and essential social needs to ensure every baby reaches their first birthday. 
 
IU Health is grateful to the Indiana Department of Health for a partnership that turns public dollars into measurable results. We recognize the work isn’t finished. Too many mothers and babies are dying from preventable causes, and continuing to improve outcomes will require building on the investments and partnerships we’ve created together.