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Funded Projects

Understanding and Addressing Health Disparities in Wisconsin Through Statewide Partnerships

Awarded in 2021
Strategic Research
Updated Sep 11, 2023

At a Glance

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health are partnering on an initiative to improve health equity in Wisconsin. MCW’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) and the UW’s Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), statewide health funders based at Wisconsin’s two medical schools, have announced a joint three-year, $3 million grant to launch an expansive new statewide partnership that will study, measure and recommend solutions for health inequities across the state of Wisconsin.

Read the grant announcement

More Funded Projects

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Maternal and Child Health

Birth Outcomes Made Better (BOMB) Doula Program

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2021
The Birth Outcomes Made Better (BOMB) Doula Program aimed to address and improve the poor birth outcomes experienced by Black mothers and infants in Milwaukee. Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 50 percent of Milwaukee births were to Black mothers, yet 70 percent of infant deaths were among Black infants. Because culturally appropriate support from doulas has been shown to significantly improve birth outcomes and maternal health, this approach was critical to address the disparities Black women and infants face in Milwaukee. The BOMB Doula Program successfully advanced its mission to improve birth outcomes for Black families in Milwaukee by providing crucial resources, health education and employment opportunities. By offering free doula services, the program ensured broad accessibility and met high demand by expanding its team from four to eight full-time employees. Additionally, the program trained doulas as Certified Lactation Counselors, increased appointment attendance and created sustainable employment opportunities.
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Community Impact Grant

From Punishment to Restoration: Reimagining Criminal Justice to Improve the Health of Wisconsin’s Families and Communities

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2015
This project, From Punishment to Restoration, aimed to implement a comprehensive intervention to bring about policy and systems change in order to address barriers to successful re-entry in Wisconsin, where the incarceration rate is the highest in the upper Midwest, and the state’s rate of incarceration for African American males is the highest in the nation. Incarceration is a public health problem with widespread negative effects on individuals and communities, including effects related to mental illness, alcohol and other substance addiction and chronic disease, all of which reflect priorities in community health improvement plans across the state. From Punishment to Restoration significantly transformed Wisconsin’s criminal justice landscape by boosting leadership and civic engagement among previously incarcerated individuals in Ex-Prisoners Organizing (EXPO) and performing a Health Impact Assessment (HIA). The HIA played a vital role in public education, highlighting the negative effects of parole and probation revocations on health, resulting in strengthened partnerships with public health organizations. The HIA also influenced agenda setting, legislative efforts and administrative changes at local and state levels, demonstrating its comprehensive impact on criminal justice reform in Wisconsin.