BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Millie, a modern maternity clinic, today revealed promising maternal health outcomes from the first cohort of more than 150 births from its hybrid model that combines midwifery-led care, doulas, and OB-GYN support with technology to provide more complete, proactive, and right-sized care. Millie’s 360-degree approach has shown the potential to improve key outcomes while also demonstrating a model for addressing national OB-GYN shortages.
Health Outcomes
In comparison to national averages, Millie’s care model yields:
- 17.5 percent better NTSV C-section rates — 21.7 percent compared to national rate of 26.3 percent
- 71.3 percent better preterm birth occurrence (PTB) — 3.01 percent rate compared to national rate of 10.49 percent
- 57 percent better low birthweight rates — 3.66 percent compared to national rate of 8.52 percent
For Black mothers who experience worse outcomes in the current US maternal health system, Millie’s model also demonstrates better outcomes compared to national averages:
- 64.2 percent better NTSV C-section rates — 11.1 percent rate compared to national rate of 31.2 percent
- 60.2 percent better preterm birth occurrence — 5.88 percent rate compared to national rate of 14.75 percent
Maternal Mental Health
The Millie care model is unique in how it integrates doulas into the clinical team together with an robust app-based curriculum developed by experts, classes, and peer support groups that comprehensively address the educational and emotional needs of birthing parents. Millie doulas guide patients on birth and postpartum recovery planning, make connections to relevant community resources, and provide emotional support.
- At baseline intake, 19.15 percent of parents have anxiety & depression using PHQ-9 and GAD7 measurements (similar to national distribution), but 66.67 percent were in remission by the end of their postpartum care at Millie.
Patient Engagement & Risk Management
In addition to providing support, the Millie app also serves regular health screen questionnaires and is paired with a connected BP cuff to monitor pregnancy between visits. Results show a high level of engagement with these tools:
- 93.62 percent of Millie patients are active on the app
- On average, 1.32 intervisit health screens are completed each month
- On average, 5.79 BP cuff readings are completed by provisioned patients each month
Based on the most recent data available, Millie mitigated 8 hypertensive crisis related “near misses” due to early detection and timely care.
Cost-Savings
Overall, Millie’s care model demonstrates positive actuarial ROI on a risk-adjusted basis per a robust model developed by a national actuarial firm.
These findings come at a time when hospitals across the country are announcing maternity ward closures, fueled by declining birth rates, staffing issues, inadequate Medicaid reimbursement, and financial distress. Over the past two years, maternity access has been reduced or cut in five percent of US counties. As a result, a vulnerable 6.9 million women are finding themselves in maternity care deserts, deprived of alternatives, and forced to travel greater distances for care or risk delivering in an emergency room.
Millie’s midwifery-led care model is well suited to over 80 percent of pregnancies that are low-to-moderate risk and can help lower per patient care delivery costs by 40 percent. Millie is in-network with all Commercial and Medicaid MCO plans in its current market, and is expanding their model in partnership with health systems and progressive Medicaid MCO plans nationally who are looking to preserve access to care against the backdrop of national OB-GYN shortages.
“Millie was inspired by my own near-miss following the birth of my daughter. We set out to build a better model that helps close gaps in care for expecting families, and that can also provide a viable solution as the U.S. maternal health crisis unfolds amidst provider shortages,” said Anu Sharma, Founder & CEO of Millie. “At Millie, we are profoundly committed to improving maternal healthcare outcomes, delivering viable economics. We’re on track to deliver our 500 babies by the end of the year, which is a testament to the trust women have in us and the strong model we’ve created.”
“These metrics show a potential for significant improvement in perinatal outcomes with Millie's comprehensive approach to care. We are proud of the model we’ve built, and grateful for the support of our hospital physicians, midwives and nurses, without whom these results would not be possible,” said Amy Kane, Millie’s Medical Director & OB-GYN. “We hope that our model will extend nationally and, ultimately, transform the patient experience and maternal health outcomes on a larger scale.”
ABOUT MILLIE:
Located in Berkeley, California, Millie is a new kind of maternity clinic, “built by moms and care providers who’ve been there,” that is reimagining the standard of maternity care in the United States. Millie’s clinic offers a 360-degree, human-centered care approach grounded in clinical best practices to guide people from conception through prenatal care, labor & delivery, and the postpartum period – ensuring that individuals are wholly supported through the physical, mental, emotional, and social changes experienced during pregnancy and parenthood. Offerings also include miscarriage management, lactation assistance, mental health counseling, personalized nutrition guidance, and postpartum support groups, and ongoing gynecological care. Fast-growing Millie’s hybrid model, inclusive of a digital platform, physical clinics, and health system partnerships, has served over 1,000 patients since its launch in 2022. To learn more about Millie, please visit www.millieclinic.com.
