Simply Healthcare and Preeclampsia Foundation Partner to Address Critical Maternal Health Risks in Florida

Partnership expands access to potentially lifesaving education, helping mothers recognize dangerous pregnancy complications and seek timely care

MIAMI, October 19, 2026--One in 10 Florida births involves high blood pressure during pregnancy, a condition that can put mothers and babies at risk of serious complications. In 2025, nearly 2,500 delivery hospitalizations in Florida involved severe maternal complications. Yet a national survey released this year found that just 8 percent of expectant and new mothers could identify all the major warning signs of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that can develop during pregnancy or after childbirth. Awareness was even lower among first-time expectant mothers with lower incomes.

As part of its broader efforts to improve maternal health across Florida, Simply Healthcare is investing in the Preeclampsia Foundation's established education work to reach more women in underserved communities with information that could help them recognize symptoms and seek timely medical care.

"Preeclampsia can become life-threatening, and the danger does not necessarily end with childbirth," said Marc Kaprow, D.O., medical director for Simply Healthcare Plans. "Women can develop postpartum preeclampsia even after an otherwise healthy pregnancy. Recognizing the warning signs and seeking prompt medical attention can make a critical difference. That is why we are supporting the Preeclampsia Foundation's work to reach mothers in their communities, where a conversation about symptoms could help save a life."

Beginning in Brevard County, the partnership will bring preeclampsia education to community baby showers for single mothers hosted by Discover Life, a multicultural church in Melbourne. Simply Healthcare's support will also fund patient focus groups to better understand mothers' needs, culturally appropriate educational materials and an "Event Box" toolkit that community advocates and local organizations can use to deliver preeclampsia education beyond individual events.

The initiative builds on the Foundation's established work educating patients and health care professionals about hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. By gathering feedback directly from mothers and equipping community partners with educational resources, the organizations aim to develop an approach that can reach women who may not receive this information through traditional health care settings.

"Knowing that preeclampsia exists is not the same as recognizing its symptoms or understanding that it could happen to you," said Eleni Tsigas, CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation. "We need to bring clear, understandable information directly to women in their communities. Our partnership with Simply Healthcare helps us listen to mothers, respond to their needs and expand the reach of potentially lifesaving education."