Advancing Health Podcast: "Walk Alongside Them": Beacon Health's Efforts to Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality

American Hospital Association | January 19, 2026
Host: Julia Resnik
Guests: Kimberly Green Reeves (VP of Community Impact and Partnerships), Cassie White (Director of Community Impact), Beacon Health System

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Beacon Health System’s multifaceted approach to reducing maternal and infant mortality in northern Indiana. Host Julia Resnik discusses with Kimberly Green Reeves and Cassie White how Beacon is building a community-first, collaborative “ecosystem of care” to combat alarming disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly among Black and African American populations. The guests share actionable strategies, lessons learned, and the importance of trust, coordination, and community partnership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Beacon Health System & Community Landscape (00:46–02:20)

• Introduction to Beacon Health
  • 11 hospitals across 10 counties (Indiana, Michigan).
  • Urban and rural care; locally governed, allowing customized responses.
  • Partnerships with major universities (e.g., Notre Dame, Western Michigan).
  • Unique local economy (nation’s largest RV industry) shapes population needs.

“We are able to meet people where they are by being locally governed and addressing those needs. ...We bring a really unique perspective.”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (01:04)

2. Addressing Maternal and Infant Health Disparities (02:42–04:17)

• Targeted Problem Areas
  • Focus on 3 Indiana counties; local infant mortality higher than state rate.
  • Disproportionately high rates among Black and African American families (three times higher than other groups; specific zip codes up to 10 times higher).
  • Use of county health data and EHR to identify and verify disparities.

“The infant mortality rate in those three counties exceeds the state rate… for Black and African American population, it’s about three times the rate of other races and ethnicities.”
— Cassie White (02:53)

3. Internal Strategies & Building an Ecosystem of Care (04:24–06:54)

• System-Wide Infrastructure
  • Internal alignment on goals; need for better communication of patient needs and service navigation.
  • Building out case management and home visiting, integrating clinical, mental health, and educational supports.
  • Continual assessment of social drivers of health; reward systems for families’ milestones.
  • Focus on “walking alongside” families for up to 18 months through their obstetric journey.

“We like to celebrate our families…providing additional resources on different milestones that they hit throughout their OB journey.”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (06:31)

4. Holistic, Community-Focused Interventions (06:54–07:39)

• Ecosystem of Care & Social Drivers
  • Slogan: “80% of our health is impacted outside of our clinical walls.”
  • Initiatives include mobile medical units to bring care to underserved communities.

“We’re trying to create an ecosystem of care…understanding those basic, basic needs and how we can support and provide resources.”
— Cassie White (06:58)

5. Building Trust with Patients & Community (07:51–11:04)

• Listening and Collaborative Approach
  • Importance of genuine dialogue: Letting patients define their needs, not presuming as providers.
  • Inclusion of lived experience; all voices matter (“we are all matter experts in our own right”).
  • Example: Nurse using remote monitoring who proactively helped a patient experiencing troubling symptoms, ensuring immediate hospital care.

“Instead of doing something to someone, we’re gonna do it with them… listening is very important… to believe them when you hear that.”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (08:14)

“Sometimes that trust doesn’t come on a scheduled plan… she pulled over to the side of the road to see what she could do to best assist this patient.”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (10:13)

6. Michiana Family Journey Grant: Catalyzing Coordinated Care (11:04–13:52)

• Overview of the $5.4M Grant

  • 5-year federal grant (Office of Health and Human Services) for creating a comprehensive, connected ecosystem.
  • Enables seamless referral processes; dedicated family nurse practitioner supports continuum from prenatal to postpartum care.

• Partnership Expansion

  • Partnering with organizations outside their expertise—e.g., mental health.
  • Secure data-sharing arrangements for efficient, HIPAA-compliant care coordination.

“With these additional resources, we are able to ensure that everything is connected… a seamless referral process... a family nurse practitioner that can see families all the way prenatally to postpartum.”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (12:19)

“We’ve brought [partners] into our system where they … log in and see the necessary information our community health workers are collecting … kind of creating more of that care coordination across multiple disciplinaries.”
— Cassie White (13:20)

7. Lessons in Building Collaboration (13:52–15:34)

• Persistence Amidst Complexity
  • Integration is complex; expect obstacles.
  • Continuous improvement (“stop and start” mentality); importance of operations and foundational work.
  • Data collection is challenging but vital for telling the story and driving ownership among staff.

“Just keep going. We’re going to hit roadblocks… we are determined to create this seamless process so that families can go through their OB journey without feeling the burden…”
— Kimberly Green Reeves (14:08)

“Every statistic, every number represents a person and represents a story.”
— Cassie White (15:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Instead of doing something to someone, we’re gonna do it with them.” — Kimberly Green Reeves (08:14)
• “We know that 80% of our health is impacted outside of our clinical walls.” — Cassie White (06:58)
• “Every statistic, every number represents a person and represents a story.” — Cassie White (15:16)
• “We are determined to create this seamless process so that families can go through their OB journey without feeling the burden…” — Kimberly Green Reeves (14:08)
• “Sometimes that trust doesn’t come on a scheduled plan.” — Kimberly Green Reeves (10:13)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:46 – Beacon Health System and Community Background
• 02:42 – Key Maternal and Infant Health Gaps and Target Populations
• 04:24 – Internal Strategic Responses and Ecosystem Building
• 06:54 – Whole-Person Care and Mobile Outreach
• 07:51 – Building Trust: Partnership and Patient Empowerment Story
• 11:04 – Michiana Family Journey Grant: Scope and Partnerships
• 13:52 – Challenges and Lessons in Collaboration
• 15:16 – Data’s Role in Storytelling and Ownership

Tone & Language

The episode is characterized by warmth, openness to learning, and a deep sense of community responsibility. Kimberly and Cassie’s language frequently returns to inclusivity (“do it with them”), persistent optimism (“just keep going”), and determination to innovate for patients and families.

Summary Takeaway

Beacon Health’s work shows that reducing maternal and infant mortality requires a coordinated ecosystem: one where health care is integrated with community voices, social needs are as important as clinical ones, and trust is the foundation for all partnerships. Their experience offers both hope and practical guidance for any community tackling health inequity.