The University of Washington, Rutgers University, and the University of Massachusetts will join forces to understand the comparative effectiveness of three perinatal psychiatry consultation lines. The three-year, $4.1 million funding award from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will provide critical answers in how to address the well-documented barriers that Medicaid-insured women and their families experience when accessing treatment for perinatal depression.

UW’s PAL for Moms program, led by Deb Cowley, MD, and Amritha Bhat, MD, MPH, is one of the programs being evaluated. Launched in 2016 with anonymous donor support, PAL for Moms is now funded by the State of Washington. This telephone consultation line makes expert perinatal psychiatric advice a quick phone call away for health care providers in our state who care for the perinatal population. Through the program, frontline providers receive recommendations, access to trainings, and local resources. Dr. Bhat will serve as the UW Site PI and Dr. Cowley will serve as the Site Co-PI.