TexasAIM

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Issues Statement on Pregnancy Health and COVID-19

On September 29, 2021, the CDC issued a health advisory recommending urgent action to encourage people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including people breastfeeding), who are trying to become pregnant or who might become pregnant in the future, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

In August 2021, the CDC updated their guidance to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for all people age 12 and older, including people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. The CDC strongly recommends the COVID-19 vaccine to prevent serious illness, deaths and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The benefits for mom and baby of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination before, during or after pregnancy.

Despite this CDC recommendation and evidence indicating that COVID-19 vaccines are both safe and effective during pregnancy, currently only 31% of pregnant people overall are fully vaccinated prior to or during pregnancy. That percentage drops to 25% for Hispanic or Latino pregnant people and 15.6% for pregnant non-Hispanic Black women, revealing persistent health disparities.

Find where to get vaccinated near you on the federal Vaccine Finder website. Learn more about pregnancy and COVID-19 on the DSHS coronavirus webpage.

Additionally, the general public and health care providers can access the Maternal and Child Health Bureau-funded resource, MotherToBaby, via chat, text, phone, and email to receive up-to-date, evidence-based information on the effects of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Download the COVID-19 and Pregnancy Poster

The Texas Department of State Health Services' (DSHS) TexasAIM program developed a free poster in English and Spanish to encourage pregnant people, people who are breastfeeding and people trying to get pregnant now or in the future, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Download the posters by clicking the links below. These posters can be put in hospitals, clinics or other places where families visit.

Soon you can order printed copies of the 17 X 24 posters from the DSHS print shop. DSHS will update this webpage when that option become available.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and help to protect mothers and babies. There is no evidence of miscarriages, stillbirths, or preterm births linked to COVID-19 vaccines. We need your help to encourage this population to get vaccinated. Together we can help protect Texas mothers, mothers-to-be and babies against COVID-19. More COVID-19 vaccine information is available on the DSHS coronavirus webpage.

TexasAIM Summit 2020

Thank you to hospital staff and leadership that attended this year’s virtual summit. We look forward to continuing to work with you for the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle! A link to all summit materials and slides can be found here.

TexasAIM’s Next Bundle: Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy

Enrollment for the TexasAIM Plus Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Learning Collaborative is now open until March 15, 2021. To enroll in TexasAIM for the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle, please follow the below steps:

Review the TexasAIM Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Hospital Enrollment Information Packet PDF with your hospital team. This document is meant to guide your team through the various steps of enrolling in TexasAIM for the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle.
Complete the TexasAIM Hospital Enrollment Form. To reference the questions on the enrollment form, download the Enrollment Form PDF. Enrollment will only be accepted through the online TexasAIM Hospital Enrollment Form.
Once your hospital has completed the TexasAIM Enrollment Form, your hospital’s CEO must complete and submit the Agreement to Participate within five business days.

Even if your hospital was previously enrolled in TexasAIM for the Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundle, you must complete the enrollment form and supporting documents to enroll in TexasAIM for the Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle and reconfirm your commitment to this work.

The deadline to enroll in TexasAIM Plus for Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Learning Collaborative is March 15, 2021. There is no deadline to enroll in TexasAIM Basic for Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at TexasAIM@dshs.texas.gov.

TexasAIM

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has teamed up with the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) and the Texas Hospital Association (THA) to create the TexasAIM initiative. TexasAIM will help hospitals and clinics in Texas carry out maternal safety projects.

Our goal is to end preventable maternal death and severe maternal morbidity. DSHS has put together a team of experts to guide the implementation of AIM throughout Texas.

What is AIM?

AIM is a program used by hospitals and communities across the country. AIM helps hospitals and communities improve maternal safety through implementing best-practices. They work with state teams and health systems to achieve these goals.

More information on AIM can be found on the About AIM webpage.

AIM Maternal Safety Bundles

An AIM Maternal Safety Bundle is a collection of best-practices for improving maternal care. Experts in the field have vetted these practices to ensure their effectiveness. Each bundle focuses on a specific maternal health and safety topic.

TexasAIM will first work on the Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundle. The initiative will then focus on the Obstetric Care for Women with Opioid Use Disorder Bundle and Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle.

More information on the Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundle can be found on the Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundle page.

More information on the Obstetric Care for Women with Opioid Use Disorder Bundle can be found on the Obstetric Care for Women with Opioid Use Disorder Bundle page.

More information on the Severe Hypertension Bundle can be found on the Severe Hypertension Bundle page.

Getting Started

Any Texas birthing hospital system can join the growing and engaged Texas AIM community.

DSHS and AIM provide help and can connect you to the Patient Safety Bundles, AIM tools, and the AIM data portal.

Enrollment is voluntary, and there is no deadline to join.

Upcoming Events and Webinars

Please visit our Obstetric Hemorrhage Bundle page for a list of upcoming events and webinars. Past webinar recordings can also be found on this page.

TexasAIM Bi-Weekly Bulletin:

Receive bi-weekly updates on TexasAIM by joining the contact list for our newsletter here.

Next Steps

If you are interested in implementing AIM Maternal Safety Bundles in your hospital or would like more information, please complete the TexasAIM Enrollment Form at the top of the page or email TexasAIM@dshs.texas.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

TexasAIM Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Document

Commissioner Hellerstedt’s Letter Announcing TexasAIM

Dr. Hellerstedt sent a letter to Texas birthing facilities announcing the launch of TexasAIM.

A copy of the letter can be found at the following link:

Dr. Hellerstedt’s Letter to Birthing Hospitals

Texas Hospitals enrolled in Texas AIM

A list of the hospitals enrolled in TexasAIM as of June 3, 2019 can be found at the following link:

TexasAIM Current Hospitals as of June 3, 2019

A map of the hospitals enrolled in TexasAIM as of May 20, 2019 can be found at the following link:

TexasAIM Map of Current Hospitals as of May 20, 2019

Maternal Health & Safety Initiatives

To read about DSHS’ maternal health and safety initiatives, including about the TexasAIM Initiative, the Maternal Health and Safety Awareness, Education, and Communication Campaign, and the High-Risk Maternal Care Coordination Services Program, download the Maternal Health & Safety Initiatives Legislative Report (PDF).