New Britain, Conn., June 23, 2026 – A maternal health program created in response to community feedback and designed to address the medical, behavioral, and social needs of pregnant patients will continue serving families in New Britain thanks to a series of community investments supporting its future.
Improving Maternal Outcomes Now! (IMON), a comprehensive perinatal care program offered through Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), was launched in 2023 through federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve health outcomes for women and their babies, particularly women of color.
CHC designed a new model of care that combines midwife-led group perinatal care, intensive social support from a multidisciplinary team, and 24/7 virtual access to perinatal specialists. At the core of the design, was patient feedback about how maternal health services should be delivered. Since its launch, IMON has served more than 300 patients and has produced outcomes that surpass both national and local averages across several key maternal and infant health measures.
Among patients who participated in the program, rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, cesarean birth, and gestational diabetes were significantly lower than national averages. Patient satisfaction has also remained exceptionally high, with 98% of participants reporting they would recommend the program to family and friends.
Although the original HRSA funding concluded in 2025, CHC made the decision to permanently integrate IMON’s core clinical and social support services into its care model. Sustaining the program’s highly utilized 24/7 virtual perinatal care services remained a priority.
To ensure continued access to this critical support, CHC secured funding from the Community Chest of New Britain and Berlin, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, and two awards from Hartford HealthCare: the Community Impact Award and the Health Equity Innovation Fund. This combined funding was awarded on June 1, 2026 and will continue until December 31, 2026.
One award in particular reflects the program’s community-centered roots. CHC was one of only four organizations selected to receive funding through the Hartford HealthCare Health Equity Innovation Fund from a pool of more than 100 applicants. Funding decisions were made by community members, creating what program leaders describe as a full-circle moment for an initiative that began with community voices identifying unmet needs in maternal healthcare.
“IMON started with community voices, and it’s fitting that community members played a role in helping sustain it,” said Vice President Yvette Highsmith. “Seeing this program’s impact is a powerful reminder of what can happen when we listen to patients and design care around their needs.”
The program’s success has also gained national recognition. Findings from IMON were published in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health in 2025 in an article highlighting the impact of integrating social care into health center-based perinatal services.
As CHC continues to expand innovative approaches to maternal healthcare, these investments will help ensure that pregnant and postpartum patients have access to comprehensive, culturally responsive support whenever they need it.