Pilot Supports Postpartum Health in Black Moms
Mom’s Heart Matters — a maternal health pilot launching at Liberty Regional Medical Center in Hinesville, Georgia — aims to reduce the disproportionately high rates of disease and death among Black mothers with high blood pressure.
The initiative receives funding from Amerigroup and the Annie E. Casey Foundation and spans a host of partners: Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Georgia OBGYN Society, Morehouse School of Medicine and Liberty Regional, which is one of two hospitals in the state delivering high-quality obstetric care to rural communities. The Casey Foundation also is supporting an evaluation of the initiative by the Morehouse School of Medicine.
Building a Safety Net for New Moms
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women within one year of pregnancy, according to the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
Mom’s Heart Matters builds on the work of two Liberty Regional nurses: Heather Daniels and Sandy Wells. The program seeks to build a safety net for postpartum moms by connecting and coordinating care across a number of areas, including:
- cardiovascular health
- medication management;
- mental health;
- substance use;
- breastfeeding; and
- reproductive health.
Meeting Black Mothers Where They Are
Black mothers often have “responsibilities related to work, school or their children that can make scheduling a visit to a doctor’s office difficult,” says Kristina Sales, a program assistant with the Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site.
The pilot’s key tool — the GoMo Health Personal Concierge — is designed to intentionally sidestep some of these common barriers to care.
The GoMo Health Personal Concierge enables new mothers to check their blood pressure regularly, regardless of their physical location, using a Bluetooth-enabled device that is monitored by medical professionals.
As part of the pilot, mothers can also access a health improvement program that promotes heart healthy living and offers screening, education and care coordination with a cardiologist for up to a year after delivery.
A Better, Clearer Picture of Black Maternal Health
On the flip side: Clinicians learn about their patient’s changing health status in real time, which informs diagnoses and interventions. The GoMo Health Personal Concierge platform helps to create this comprehensive and continuous look at maternal health by:
- engaging with patients during the postpartum period;
- monitoring blood pressure for high-risk women; and
- providing all mothers with evidence-based support grounded in behavioral science principles.
The goal? “Timely triage and a decrease in inappropriate emergency room visits or hospital readmission,” says Dr. Keisha R. Callins, the initiative’s clinical advisor.
A small group of new mothers are currently enrolled in the pilot and, if proven effective, participant numbers will grow.
“Any mother lost is one too many,” says Callins of the pilot’s potential impact. “Mom’s Heart Matters gives us an opportunity to save lives.”
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