Department of Health lauds success of program for low-income pregnant women

25-year-old Bright Start program exceeding health outcomes of broader Medicaid recipients for babies, mothers

Families enrolled in South Dakota’s Bright Start Nurse Home Visiting program are seeing markedly stronger early-childhood health outcomes than the broader Medicaid population, according to new data released by the South Dakota Department of Health.

The findings, measured through the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), show Bright Start participants complete well-child visits at significantly higher rates and are more likely to receive lead screenings.