Bridging the gap in maternal health: Sentara collaborates with local partners and faith-leaders

Bridging the gap in maternal health

 

Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, and most of these deaths are preventable. Sentara is addressing this crisis head-on. As one of the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the nation, Sentara is uniquely positioned to make a positive impact on health outcomes for women as both medical patients and health plan members. Sentara is working to create collaborative and comprehensive solutions to provide high-quality care for expectant mothers, reduce health disparities, and make Sentara the safest place to have a baby.

 

On Tuesday, April 9, and Wednesday, April 10, Sentara partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and community organizations to host a Regional Maternal Health Convening, where healthcare professionals, academic institutions, providers, insurers, faith-based leaders, and community leaders came together to share best practices and recommendations in the maternal health space to reduce disparities.

 

 

Sentara leaders and community partners gather for a two-day event to share best practices and recommendations in the maternal health space to reduce health disparities.

 

The meeting focused on developing a culturally competent workforce, postpartum coverage, birth worker reimbursements, management of chronic conditions prior to pregnancy, and working with faith and community leaders on engagement with healthcare professionals.

 

Reevaluating Care Delivery

 

As a healthcare system, Sentara is reevaluating the way the organization provides care. “We are committed to being a place where our patients have a voice in the individual care that they receive,” said Dr. Jordan Asher, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Sentara. “We need to evolve past the Golden Rule, which is treating others how we wish to be treated, to the Platinum Rule, where we treat people the way they wish to be treated. That is a profound change in mindset and one that respects the wishes and differing cultures of the people we care for.”

As one example, Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Va., has added certified nurse midwives, focusing on inclusive care. The program aims to empower women and ensure their voices are heard in decision-making processes.

“If we acknowledge that not everyone is coming in with the same opportunities and backgrounds, then we can gear our care in such a way that we are also bridging some of those disparities,” said Amber Price, DNP CNM RN, president, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. “We are hearing you, we are acknowledging this issue, we are open to having this conversation, and we are educating our team to be as receptive as possible when you come in and share what you need. And we are here to make sure you get what you need.”

 

 

Megan Buchholz, nursing educator at Sentara CarePlex Hospital, and Amber Price, DNP CNM RN, president, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, speak about the importance of nutrition, exercise, chronic condition management before pregnancy, and early access to care with the goal of healthy maternal outcomes. 

 

Based on community feedback, it became apparent that there was a greater need for support both during and after pregnancy. With this in mind, Sentara Health Plans (SHP) has updated and expanded its long-standing program for moms on Medicaid called Welcoming Baby, adding navigators to walk women through their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journeys. The navigators coordinate resources to ensure that mothers and children have access to healthy food, medications, and mental health services. 

“We are committed to letting these mothers know we are still there for them after the pregnancy ends,” said Asher.

Up to half of maternal deaths can be attributed to cardiovascular issues, including congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, valvular issues, arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertension, and a host of other conditions. 

Dr. Petra Lynch, a Sentara cardiologist, and, Dr. Gloria Too, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine, worked together across institutions and disciplines to create the Hampton Roads region’s first and only program focused on the cardiovascular needs of pregnant women; the Sentara-EVMS Cardio-Obstetrics Center. 

The new program is based at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the primary teaching hospital for EVMS Maternal Fetal Medicine, which serves a largely high-risk population nearing delivery, often with little or no pre-natal care. Almost 75% of the hospital’s obstetrics patients are on Medicaid. A significant portion are Black and Latino, who are at higher risk for hypertension and cardiac issues, which can complicate pregnancies and put lives at risk.

The Sentara-EVMS Center is designed to provide a comprehensive continuum of care for pregnant individuals with pre-existing or newly diagnosed cardiovascular conditions. The program ensures the well-being of the mother and developing fetus by closely monitoring and managing cardiovascular health throughout the pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Providing Care Beyond Hospital Walls

 

Social drivers of health, such as housing, financial literacy, food insecurity, and transportation needs, directly impact 80 percent of an individual’s health and well-being – factors that occur outside the walls of medical offices and facilities. That’s why Sentara collaborates with community and faith-based leaders to address these “dis-eases of life” and to deliver high-touch care directly to the communities that need it most.

"Sentara is all about partnerships,” said Iris Lundy, Sentara vice president of health equity. “We understand that it cannot be us doing this work alone. The community knows what it needs to heal itself. What it needs is for all of us to come together to elevate the problem - but more importantly - the solutions."

“We’ve come to recognize that health and well-being are not just the absence of illness or disease, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, creating life versus just preventing death,” said Asher. “To truly drive measurable change and advance health equity in the communities we serve, we must extend our efforts beyond the walls of our hospitals and medical centers and reach into the heart of our communities.” 

 

Dr. Jordan Asher, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Sentara, delivers opening remarks at the convening.

 

Access to care remains an ongoing issue facing women in rural and underserved communities. “One of the ways we have been able to mitigate that is through mobile care – getting into communities and building new practices that are immersed in the community where we can meet patients where they live and where they work, so we can be there from the beginning and hold their hand throughout their journey and afterwards,” said Price.

When Sentara Health Plans Medicaid members are unable to travel to a Sentara facility for maternal health care, Sentara will travel to them. Sentara Mobile Care vehicles travel to neighborhoods and communities to reduce traditional barriers to care, such as inconvenient times and lack of transportation. Sentara also has created brick-and-mortar Sentara Community Care Centers, fully embedded within communities that have historically lacked access, have known health disparities, and statistically experience worse health outcomes. Care locations are selected to reduce gaps in access to care and to maximize convenience and proximity to other essential community organizations and services.

Beyond access to care, access to education and resources is critically important. Sentara hospitals offer formal childbirth education classes to help prepare expectant mothers for their childbirth journey, to ask the right questions, and to communicate well with their providers. Beginning in May, Sentara Norfolk General will extend the childbirth education classes beyond the hospital walls and begin offering the classes in the Portsmouth, Va., community, an area that lacks maternity care and resources.

“Working with community organizations, we can bridge gaps in access to care, address systemic barriers, and empower expectant mothers with comprehensive support networks to foster healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies,” said Teresita Hammond, labor and delivery nurse at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Sentara partners with various community organizations to advance maternal health, including Birth Sisters, Urban Baby Beginnings, Birth in Color, and Virginia Women and Family Support Center, to name a few. Sentara supports communities through active grantmaking, leadership and speaking engagements, community health needs assessments and other independent research, health literacy initiatives, and support for community events. Learn more about Sentara’s community engagement and impact efforts at www.SentaraCares.com.