Texas ranks 49th for women’s health – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

North Texas nonprofit Hope Cottage announced plans Thursday for a new maternal health clinic with HHM Health, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) and nonprofit organization that provides cost-effective medical services.

The clinic is located in Hope Cottage in the Wilson District near Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas.

On site, HHM Health offers low-cost pregnancy testing, Medicaid enrollment and prenatal care.

Hope Cottage provides mothers with access to parenting education, case management and community resources.

This week, the Commonwealth Foundation released its annual health rankings, which ranked Texas 49th in a new state-by-state scorecard for women’s health.

The lowest ranked states overall are Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Mississippi.

“Maternal and reproductive health is one of the indicators of the general health of the population. I think, definitely, in terms of policy, we have key areas that we need to focus on in terms of research and practice on the ground,” he said. Maternal health expert Dr. Kirah Brown, assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.

You can read the report here.