On Demand: Enhancing Regional Collaboration and Resource Sharing ─ Region 7 Maternal Health ECHO® Session 1

Strong regional collaboration is essential to improving maternal health outcomes across Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. This session focused on strengthening cross-state connections and expanding shared capacity to support mothers and families. 

On June 23, the Kansas Health Institute hosted the first session of the Region 7 Maternal Health ECHO series. Participants explored how to tap into existing resources, identified opportunities for aligned action and discussed ways to build more coordinated systems of care. The session highlighted practical tools, partner-driven insights and models of collaboration already making a difference across the region. 

This session set the foundation for the series, creating space for community voices, clinical expertise and public health leaders to work together to enhance resource sharing and accelerate impact.

Learn more about the Maternal Health Echo series.

Event recording of the didactic presentation is posted below. Access the Resource Guide and Slides in the Documents and Downloads section.

Didactic Presenter

Strengthening Collaboration Across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska

Tracy Russell, Chief Executive Officer, Nurture KC
Tracy Russell is a University of Kansas graduate who returned to the state after the birth of her oldest son. She has worked in legislative policy for 30 years with nonprofits including the Iowa League of Cities, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association. Some of the highlights of this work include passage of a statewide clean indoor air law in Kansas as well as passage of a tobacco tax increase. Russell currently serves as CEO of Nurture KC, an organization committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality in Kansas City, a position she has held since 2019. Tracy brings a policy lens to Nurture KC, recognizing that it is a combination of direct services, community collaboration and policy change that bring cultural shift and broad impact. During her tenure, Nurture KC has expanded services to include doulas, mental health counseling and transportation to appointments. Nurture KC has participated in the successful efforts to expand Medicaid in Missouri and extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for mothers and cover doula services in Medicaid in Kansas. Russell’s latest project is leading a legislative effort in Kansas to adopt paid family and medical leave.

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