Drive Health and Google Public Sector have teamed up with the State of Illinois to start a new pilot program called Healthy Baby. This program will use artificial intelligence (AI) to support maternal health among underserved populations in rural Cook County.
The multi-year program will involve more than 56,000 participants. Expectant mothers will receive Google Pixel phones and Fitbit devices. These tools will connect them to Drive Health’s AI assistant, Nurse Avery. The goal is to reduce maternal deaths, improve birth weights, increase full-term pregnancies, and lower healthcare costs.
Kevin Longoria, CEO of Drive Health, said, “Our mission is to create technology that removes barriers and makes healthcare more accessible. Partnering with Google, Illinois, and former Senator James Clayborne to launch Healthy Baby is an important step toward helping vulnerable groups.”
The program targets significant health gaps. Only one in four high-risk mothers on Medicaid get regular prenatal care. Behavioral health issues go untreated or unnoticed in up to 40% of pregnant women on Medicaid. In Illinois, one-third of counties lack adequate maternal care, called “maternal care deserts.”
Chris Hein, Field Chief Technology Officer at Google Public Sector, said, “Healthy Baby is a major advance in maternal health. It shows how AI can offer personalized, timely support to mothers who need it most. Using Nurse Avery on Google Pixel phones and Fitbit devices, the program helps manage appointments, track vital signs, and provide health advice.”
The program serves women in Cook County who are planning families, currently pregnant, or have children under three years old. Each participant gets a Google Pixel 8a phone to talk with Nurse Avery and a Fitbit Inspire 3 to monitor activity, heart health, and sleep.
Nurse Avery offers many services. These include nutrition advice, folic acid reminders, vaccination updates, chronic disease care, mental health resources, and genetic risk checks. The platform supports voice commands and follows strict HIPAA privacy rules to keep patient data safe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 80% of maternal deaths can be prevented. Babies born to mothers without prenatal care are five times more likely to die, reports the Office on Women’s Health.
The Healthy Baby platform runs on Google Cloud and complies with state and federal data privacy laws. This ensures patient information is protected while delivering personalized health guidance.
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