In April 2022, SSM Health joined other area health care organizations as members of the Dane County Health Council to launch ConnectRx Wisconsin, a system dedicated to supporting Black pregnant women and birthing persons to gain greater access to health care and family-stabilizing resources. 

The program aligns with the reproductive justice priority listed in SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Madison’s 2022-2024 Community Health Needs Assessment. 

ConnectRx seeks to reduce Wisconsin’s high racial disparity regarding infant mortality, as the state currently has one of the highest disparities in the country when it comes to birth outcomes. The program deploys a care coordination system across Dane County that helps to connect Black women to resources and fill unmet needs to promote successful births and improve overall birth outcomes in the state. 

The initiative stems from a 2017 community assessment called Saving Our Babies, which outlined the growing racial disparity gap in Dane County and called for immediate action. Through ConnectRx, pregnant women can receive access to community health workers, doulas, and various programs focused on addressing the social determinants of health.