Philadelphia, PA – Recently, Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh joined Fabric Health for a community baby shower for new and expecting moms and their families. Fabric Health is an organization that helps people navigate state and federal health care and other assistance programs by turning a weekly chore – like laundry at local laundromats – into a meaningful time to obtain, understand, and use benefits.
Secretary Arkoosh and leadership from Fabric Health met with families the organization helps to enroll in, renew, or better understand and utilize benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so they can live healthier lives. As part of the community baby shower, Fabric Health offered free laundry for families as well as diapers and other products for babies and mothers.
Since taking office, Governor Josh Shapiro has prioritized addressing maternal health disparities. In the 2023-24 budget, the Governor worked to secure the first-ever investment in addressing maternal mortality with $2.3 million to expand maternal health programming and for the implementation of prevention strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Governor Shapiro built on that success by securing an additional $2.6 million increase in the 2024-25 budget for maternal mortality prevention, managed through the Department of Health. The Governor’s 2025-2026 budget proposal includes $5 million to fund maternal health initiatives.
Medicaid – also known as Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania – provides health insurance to families with low incomes, children, and older Pennsylvanians. Approximately three million Pennsylvanians rely on Medicaid for their health insurance. SNAP is the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program; it is 100 percent federally funded and helps more than two million Pennsylvanians buy food every month.
Watch a video from the visit below.