MARQUETTE — Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions has been awarded a grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to launch CIRCLE UP (Connecting Innovations in Rural Care, Learning, and Equity in the Upper Peninsula), an initiative aimed at advancing perinatal care in rural and frontier communities across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

With support from the Health Fund, CIRCLE UP will strengthen perinatal health care coordination, elevate the voices of birthing families, and foster community-informed solutions that reduce disparities and improve maternal and infant outcomes.

“Rural families in the Upper Peninsula often face unique barriers to accessing safe, timely, and equitable perinatal care,” says Katrina Keough, Assistant Director of UPHCS. “CIRCLE UP builds on our region’s strengths and trusted relationships to better coordinate services, support providers, and ensure families receive the care they deserve.”

Led by UPHCS, in partnership with OB/GYN Associates of Marquette and the Partnering for the Future (PFF) program at the University of Michigan, CIRCLE UP integrates evidence-based medical and behavioral health care into routine perinatal services, with a focus on virtual delivery models.

CIRCLE UP will:

— Establish a regional learning network across all 15 U.P. counties and two tribal nations, linking hospitals, public health agencies, tribal health, behavioral health, home visiting programs, and community organizations.

— Develop and pilot a Rural Perinatal Care Coordination model, informed by local input, that strengthens transitions of care, referral systems, and system navigation.

— Empower families and community members through storytelling, peer support, and engagement strategies to guide culturally responsive improvements.

— Align with state and national maternal health efforts, contributing rural innovation and data to broader policy and practice conversations.

The initiative addresses significant health equity concerns in the Upper Peninsula, where geographic barriers, provider shortages, and economic challenges intersect to increase maternal and infant health risk. By investing in collaborative care models and elevating lived experiences, CIRCLE UP aims to close gaps and build sustainable systems of support.

For more information on CIRCLE UP or UPHCS, please contact info@uphcs.org.