In a deep red state, a public program focused on maternal and infant health has thrived for decades, and continues to win public support and federal dollars.

Project WATCH -- which stands for Working in Appalachia To Capture High-risk infants -- collects data on nearly 100% of live births in West Virginia, and has contributed to a decline in infant mortality in the state. It has also been adapted over the years to help researchers better understand evolving problems like neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

And it has managed to retain most of its federal funding, which grants $4 for every $3 invested by the state, sources told MedPage Today.

One of the reasons Project WATCH remains trusted in West Virginia is simply that it's been around for so long, said its medical director Collin John, MD, MPH, of West Virginia University in Morgantown.

Residents of the state know what the program is, even if they don't know that it receives federal funding, so it doesn't "get that government feel in it," John told MedPage Today.

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