As SMFM marks High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week, Diverse Health examines why access, equity, and whole-person support matter more than ever.
This week, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is marking High-Risk Pregnancy Awareness Week, June 1–8, 2026, to raise awareness of complex pregnancies, promote educational resources, and highlight the need for access, research, and policy support. That makes it an important moment to examine one of the biggest upstream drivers of poor maternal outcomes: whether women can get timely, culturally competent care before pregnancy complications develop.
The United States is facing an urgent maternal health crisis. Nearly one in five pregnancies is now classified as high-risk, and the burden is not shared equally. Black, Indigenous, and rural women continue to face the steepest barriers to care, shaped by chronic disease, geographic isolation, structural inequities, and long-standing gaps in how women’s health is delivered.
At Diverse Health, we believe maternal health outcomes improve when women have better access to primary care and mental health support before, during, and after pregnancy. Our role is not to replace maternal-fetal medicine or obstetric specialty care, but to help women get healthier sooner, stay connected to care, and reduce the risk factors that can complicate pregnancy.
Supporting healthier pregnancies through primary care
A healthier pregnancy often begins long before conception. Chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and unmanaged mental health concerns can increase the risk of pregnancy complications. For many women, the biggest challenge is not awareness but access.
Diverse Health helps close that gap by offering faster access to board-certified Nurse Practitioners who can support routine screenings, chronic disease management, medication optimization, smoking cessation, and lifestyle support. By making primary care easier to reach, women are better positioned to address health concerns early and enter pregnancy in a stronger clinical state.
Expanding women’s health access
Long wait times, transportation barriers, work schedules, childcare responsibilities, and limited provider availability can all delay care. Virtual care can help reduce those barriers and make it easier for women to stay connected to the services they need.
Diverse Health’s model supports women through accessible virtual primary care and mental health visits, helping them manage everyday health concerns without unnecessary friction. That includes support for preventive care, follow-up visits, family planning needs, and ongoing management of conditions that affect women across the life course.
Why representation matters
Cultural disconnects in healthcare can affect whether patients trust their providers, return for follow-up, and adhere to treatment plans. For many women, especially Black, Indigenous, and other underserved patients, feeling heard and understood shapes whether care feels safe enough to continue.
Diverse Health’s provider network reflects the diversity of the communities it serves, which helps build trust, improve communication, and support better engagement. When patients feel respected and understood, they are more likely to ask questions, raise concerns, and stay connected to care.
Supporting women before and after pregnancy
Mental health is a critical part of women’s health across every stage of life. Anxiety, depression, stress, and postpartum mental health concerns can affect daily functioning, care engagement, and overall well-being.
Diverse Health provides integrated mental health and primary care services that support women before, during, and after pregnancy, including family planning, pregnancy-related transitions, and postpartum recovery. By addressing mind and body together, the model helps women access care in one place and stay supported through different stages of life.
Designing a more equitable future
Maternal health improves when women can access care earlier, more easily, and in ways that feel culturally responsive. That requires more than awareness; it requires systems that reduce friction, support trust, and meet women where they are.
Diverse Health is helping meet that need by expanding access to culturally competent virtual primary care and mental health services. We are not a maternal-fetal medicine program, and we do not replace specialty obstetric care. What we do offer is a practical way to help women arrive at pregnancy with better health, better support, and better access to care.
Reducing maternal disparities means looking upstream. It means strengthening primary care, supporting mental health, improving access, and ensuring that women are seen and heard before complications escalate. That is where Diverse Health can make a meaningful difference.
Diverse Health is committed to helping close the maternal health gap through culturally competent, virtual, whole-person care that supports women before, during, and after pregnancy. We welcome meaningful partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to equitable care and better outcomes. To learn more about partnership opportunities, visit mydiversehealth.com/partner/.