A mother’s health and well-being before, during, and after pregnancy has direct and sometimes lifelong effects on the health of her child. As a focus of maternal-child health, low birth weight (LBW) is a serious public health challenge. Babies who have very LBW can be at higher risk of death and other complications as they grow up. LBW infants are more likely to die before their first birthday and more likely to suffer from cognitive development issues and chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure and asthma. The problems associated with LBW also continue into adulthood: Compared to their peers, LBW individuals attain less education and earn less income. LBW is associated with tobacco, alcohol, and drug use; lack of early prenatal care, lack of maintaining a healthy weight. In Central Oregon, 77.9% of infants received prenatal care in the first trimester as compared to 77.8% in Oregon (OHA – Performance Measures, 2015). Differences between the counties in 2014 show Deschutes at 81%, Crook at 70.4%, and Jefferson at 68.5% (OHA, 2014).
"If I didn’t get the support of the program, I have no idea where I would be. With the support, I feel more at ease and I can be a parent to my son. Any kind of question, they are there. I can call and leave a message and they get right back to me. A lot of women who are in my situation or who have been in my situation, knowing that you have people and programs on the end to support, make a huge difference. They have made me want to push further beyond being a mom, but to be sober and continue to reach other goals. I would’ve still been on drugs and would not have fought so hard for my son, had they not been in my life to help me. “ ~PCC Client
From 2016-2019, the Prenatal Care Continuum served 3,815 individual pregnant women (does not include clients served for multiple pregnancy's) and served 4,430 distinct clients per quarter, while also serving 330 postpartum women.
Of women who had not started prenatal care in their first trimester before their visit with one of our Perinatal Care Coordinators (PCCs), 92.56% had a prenatal appointment after their visit with their PCC.
PCCs helped 3,551 pregnant women get on the WIC program.
PCC was able to educate and/or refer 3,292 pregnant women for Home Visiting Support programs, 3,592 women for Dental Care, and 3,125 women for Maternal Mental Health Services.
By design, Perinatal Care Coordinators are usually the first point of contact for pregnant women. This assures early access to care and referral to appropriate and needed resources.
PCC's success is founded in strong community partnerships. Early in the project, PCC worked with partners to create a streamlined referral process and workflow. This helped PCC, local prenatal care clinics, and other partners improve processes to assure timely access to care.
In addition to client support and collaborative system-wide improvements, PCC hosted community-wide "baby shower" events in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson County. This event brought together over 100 community partners, and in 2018, PCC served 404 expectant families and families with newborns. In 2019, PCC served 552 expectant families and families with newborns.
The state has noticed PCC's success in Central Oregon, which has encouraged them to consider implementing similar programs in other parts of Oregon.