Drive Health and Google Public Sector have partnered with the State of Illinois to launch Healthy Baby, a pilot program providing AI-powered maternal health support to underserved populations in rural Cook County.
The multi-year initiative will engage more than 56,000 participants, providing Google Pixel phones and Fitbit devices to expectant mothers to access Drive Health’s AI assistant called Nurse Avery. The program aims to reduce maternal mortality, improve birth weights, and increase full-term pregnancies while reducing healthcare costs.
“Our mission has always been to create technology that breaks down barriers and democratizes healthcare access,” said Kevin Longoria, CEO of Drive Health. “Partnering with Google, the State of Illinois, and former Senator James Clayborne to launch Healthy Baby represents a critical milestone in our commitment to supporting the most vulnerable populations.”
The initiative addresses significant healthcare disparities, with only a quarter of high-risk mothers on Medicaid receiving consistent prenatal care. According to the announcement, behavioral health conditions go undiagnosed or untreated in up to 40% of pregnant women in Medicaid populations. In Illinois, a third of counties are considered maternal care deserts.
“The Healthy Baby pilot represents a critical step in maternal healthcare, showing how AI can help deliver personalized, proactive health support directly to underserved mothers,” said Chris Hein, Field Chief Technology Officer at Google Public Sector. “Using the AI agent, Nurse Avery, and delivering it through Google Pixel phones and Fitbit devices, the program provides real-time support – managing appointments, monitoring vitals, and offering health guidance directly.”
The program serves women in Cook County who are considering family planning, expectant mothers, and mothers with children under three years old. Participants receive a Google Pixel 8a phone to communicate with Nurse Avery and a Fitbit Inspire 3 device to track physical activity, heart health, and sleep data.
Nurse Avery provides various services including nutritional support and folic acid coordination, vaccination updates, chronic disease management, mental health resources, and genetic risk assessment. The platform includes voice-command options for accessibility and operates within HIPAA-compliant infrastructure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, and babies of mothers who do not receive prenatal care are five times more likely to die, according to the Office on Women’s Health.
The platform is built on Google Cloud’s infrastructure and adheres to state and federal data security and privacy guidelines to protect patient information while providing personalized care recommendations.
