Missouri Maternal Mental Health Grades Rise as Mercy Expands Care

The 2026 report card, which evaluates screening, provider access, payment policy, and parental support, reflects a significant turnaround for the state. Dr. Kimberly Brandt, a perinatal psychiatrist at Mercy, noted that while challenges persist, the shift represents a measurable improvement in how the system supports pregnant and postpartum women.

Mercy has anchored this transition by dissolving the traditional wall between behavioral health and women's care. Their approach includes a collaborative model that screens for anxiety and depression across primary care and pediatric clinics. For higher-risk patients, the health system operates the BRAVE program, which provides a multidisciplinary team of social workers, therapists, and specialists to support those battling substance use. Additionally, the Mother Baby Intensive Outpatient Program offers a peer-supported environment for women up to one year postpartum.

These interventions are backed by a high-volume clinical infrastructure. Mercy Hospital St. Louis, which delivers more babies than any other hospital in the state, utilizes a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit to manage complex cases. Dr. Dan Jackson, a maternal-fetal medicine physician at Mercy, emphasized the system's role in this outcome, stating that as the state's largest obstetrics provider, they bear a specific responsibility to offer support during the most vulnerable stages of pregnancy and recovery. In the current fiscal year alone, Mercy’s perinatal psychiatry team has facilitated over 3,600 individual patient visits.