Millie’s Post

Thank you to Mark Travers, Ph.D. at Forbes for featuring Millie's holistic 360 degree care model in this terrific piece that unpacks the clinical research around maternal mental health, highlights the role that psychosocial support + preparedness can play in reducing perinatal anxiety & depression, and provides practical strategies for pregnant families. TL;DR -- ✅ (1) Choose a care team that includes midwives & doulas ✅ (2) Embrace innovative models that use tech to provide more continuous 24x7 care between visits through connected devices, apps, and more ✅ (3) Actively seek out peer support groups that can help validate your lived experiences and give you practical tips in real time. #maternalmentalhealth, #maternalhealth, #womenshealth https://lnkd.in/gVSyn9cG

In <2 years we have achieved many things at Millie -- rapid growth, positive economics, payor coverage across Commercial & Medicaid plans, actuarial ROI, an expanding list of health system partnerships, and tremendous patient love with 1000+ patients and 250 Millie babies so far. Earlier this week we released our first set of outcomes data on the Millie care model, and I couldn't be more proud of the team. Key highlights: + Lower c-section and preterm birth rates vs. national averages + Measured remission rates for maternal mental health + Positive actuarial ROI for payors through better outcomes + Reduction in near misses due to early detection and timely care + Lower costs of care delivery vs. current standard models In short, Millie's technology enabled, midwifery-led care model is good for patients, payors, and health systems....and it can solve growing care gaps in the face of major national OBGYN shortages. Much gratitude to all our investors who have believed in Millie's mission of building better maternity care for all. You make change possible. cc: TMV BBG Ventures, RH Capital, Ingeborg Investments, Joyance Partners, Looking Glass Capital, venn growth partners, Turner Novak, tristan walker, Rob Chess, Scott Belsky, Amy Kane, Talia Borgo CNM, WHNP, RN, Sarah Reynolds, Kimmie Carey, Patricia Bevitz, Teel Love, Shalini Shah, Terese Tatum

Such a fun conversation with host (and investor) Turner Novak! We covered a lot of ground on Millie, innovating in healthcare, and my own non-linear path into all of it! Thanks so much for having me! Some things we chatted about: (03:16) Problems in US maternity care (13:21) Why insurance reimbursement drives healthcare design (16:11) How bundled care unlocks personalization (18:48) From fiction writer to 20 years in healthcare (24:22) Why consumers don’t act like consumers in healthcare (26:09) The reason scale matters (27:43) Bundled payments and new care design (32:16) What makes Millie unique (35:58) Importance of picking the right regional markets in healthcare (37:08) The two paths for insurance reimbursement (41:08) Why distribution is the product in healthcare (44:25) Opportunities in cash pay care (48:28) How Anu fundraised without a product (51:06) The future of in-person, hybrid, and virtual healthcare

It's Mother's Day today..... Over the years I have felt many things -- the weight of social expectations as I unpacked years of uncertainty about whether motherhood was for me, multiple rounds of heartbreak over failed fertility treatments, joy on the birth of my daughter, terror as I suffered a "near miss" soon after, and since then the wild ride that American parenthood is for working parents (being a startup founder makes it all a bit harder). But today, I feel optimistic. The news remains grim but there is more national attention, federal funding, and technology at our disposal to build a better system. I'm sharing an op-ed I wrote for the Observer on what the future of maternal health could look like — technology can help us address provider shortages, reach care where it’s needed, reduce clinician burnout, save lives, lower costs, and create better experiences for expectant families. At Millie we are grateful for the opportunity to build this future -- to-date we have cared for more than a thousand families, and brought hundreds of babies into the world with strong outcomes and proven actuarial ROI. We are excited to be expanding and look forward to bringing better care to more families later this year! If you are in a position to make a difference - as a business or government leader, investor, builder, fellow parent, or community member — please use your platform to make change on this Mother’s Day! cc: Sarah Reynolds, Amy Kane, Talia Borgo CNM, WHNP, RN, Kimmie Carey #ai #healthtech #cdc #whitehouse #maternalhealth #mothersday #womenshealth #healthinnovation

On this International Day of the Midwife, it feels very apt to share this study by the The Commonwealth Fund. The question is, how can we make this happen faster? _________ "Research consistently demonstrates that when midwives play a central role in the provision of maternal care, patients are more satisfied, clinical outcomes for parents and infants improve, and costs decrease. Use of midwives is also associated with fewer cesarean sections, lower preterm birth rates, lower episiotomy rates, higher breastfeeding rates, and a greater sense of respect and autonomy for the patient. A recent analysis found that a midwife workforce, integrated into health care delivery systems, could provide 80 percent of essential maternal care around the world and potentially avert 41 percent of maternal deaths, 39 percent of neonatal deaths, and 26 percent of stillbirths. Midwives also could help address the workforce shortages that loom large in the U.S. maternity care landscape: nearly half of U.S. counties lack a single obstetrician-gynecologist, and it’s estimated that the nation needs 8,000 more to meet demand — a number that, by one estimate, may rise to 22,000 by 2050." #midwives #maternalhealth #healthinnovation #whitehouse #cdc #acog #acnm https://lnkd.in/e2PUiyzT

Last week a new study published in AJOG brought into question the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveillance data on maternal mortality, and said that "pregnancy checkbox" miscalculations widely overstated the problem, without saying by how much. Read this thoughtful piece by Andrea Rice at Healthline Media that explains the issue and shares our perspective from Millie. "Regardless of whether or not this specific data has been miscalculated, we undoubtedly have high rates of maternal morbidity, with nearly 50,000 near misses a year, as well as high rates of c-sections, preterm births, NICU stays, and poor maternal mental health. On top of that, racial disparities for Black birthing people are significant, as this study continues to affirm. 36% of all U.S. counties are designated maternity care deserts. As researchers, policymakers, and providers all know — reducing the U.S. maternal health crisis to methodology differences around how mortality calculations are done ignores the harsh reality of what mothers giving birth in the U.S. face today.” https://lnkd.in/e_usGB7s #maternalhealth #womenshistorymonth #womenshealth #healthinnovation #maternalmortality #cdc