The MolinaCares Accord Presents $55,000 to Springfield Urban League to Address Gaps in Maternal Health
Media Contact: Rhonda Frazier, Rhonda.Frazier@MolinaHealthCare.Com, (562) 980-3849
CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2026 — The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of Illinois (“Molina”), presented a $55,000 grant to support the Springfield Urban League’s EmpowerHER: Uplift Black Mothers Program. This program will connect families to community-based services and resources to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
In Illinois, Black women are more than twice as likely to die from any pregnancy-related conditions and three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related medical conditions than White women.
“At the Springfield Urban League, we are committed to equipping under-resourced Illinoisians with the services, education, and support they need to reach their fullest potential,” said Tatyana Garnder, DrPH, MPH, CHES, director of health initiatives at Springfield Urban League. “Through our partnership with Molina, we look forward to bringing this new health initiative to life and addressing the existing maternal health disparities in the Springfield community.”
The grant will support new and expectant mothers by funding doula services, community baby showers, breastfeeding support groups, and educational workshops that aim to improve maternal health outcomes.
“Recent data shows that many pregnancy-related deaths in Illinois could have been prevented with appropriate health care services,” said Kris Classen, plan president of Molina Healthcare of Illinois. “By bringing health education directly to mothers in our community and improving access to care and resources through the EmpowerHER Program, Molina hopes to help expectant mothers make informed decisions about their care and give newborns a healthy start to life.”
This latest investment is part of the over $5 million that Molina and MolinaCares have contributed in Illinois over the past two years to community organizations that play a vital role in strengthening health across the state.
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About The MolinaCares Accord
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc., The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About Molina Healthcare of Illinois
Molina Healthcare of Illinois, Inc. provides government-funded, quality health care, serving members through Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace programs in Illinois. Through its locally operated health plans, Molina Healthcare, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, provides managed health care services under the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and through state insurance marketplaces. For more information about Molina Healthcare of Illinois, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.
About Springfield Urban League
The Springfield Urban League Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civil rights and community-based movement that serves over 21,000 people annually, providing direct services, research, and policy advocacy to assist individuals and communities in reaching their fullest potential. Primarily working with low-income individuals and youth, it is networked with 93 professionally staffed affiliates in over 35 states across the nation. For more information about Springfield Urban League, visit Springfieldul.org.