Phoebe launches Nurse-Family Partnership

ALBANY — Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has launched a new program, the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), which teaches first-time moms how to have a successful pregnancy and develop parenting skills to create better futures for themselves and their babies.

Through the NFP program, specially-educated nurses make regular visits to moms-to-be, starting early in the pregnancy and continuing through the child’s second birthday. Nurses provide support, education and counseling on preventive health practices, including thorough prenatal care from their health care providers, improving diets and reducing any use of habit-forming substances. The program also supports a healthy postpartum experience for mother and baby, and supports healthy cognitive, physical and emotional growth and development for the child.

“We are very excited to be offering this program to our community,” RN Karen Hills, nursing supervisor for Phoebe NFP, said in a news release. “Pregnancy and parenting can be very overwhelming for new mothers. With this program, new mothers build a special bond with the nurse, who becomes a trusted resource. Moms can rely on the nurse for support on everything from pregnancy concerns, safely bonding with and caring for their child, family planning and child spacing, as well as resources to support a healthy and stable future for families.”

NFP is a national evidence-based, community health program with more than 40 years of research showing significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children affected by social and economic inequality. Phoebe is launching the free program in partnership with NFP and CareSource, a member-centric health care coverage company.

“Moms enrolled in the program will benefit greatly by getting the care and support they need to have a healthy pregnancy and beyond,” Dr. Dianna Grant, the chief medical officer for the Phoebe Putney Health System, said. “This week is recognized as Black Maternal Health Week, which highlights the disparities in health outcomes for pregnant woman. This program has the ability to change the life trajectories and health outcomes for both mothers and children, benefiting generations to come.”

In the United States, black mothers suffer pregnancy-related death that is three times higher than the rate for white mothers.

“While Phoebe’s Nurse-Family Partnership will welcome mothers of any race, we certainly hope it will help improve health disparities and improve overall maternal health in our region,” Grant added.

To help build long-term support for Phoebe’s NFP program, a community advisory board was created and will meet quarterly.

“The board is made up of representatives from community organizations who will collaborate and help make the program a great resource for our community,” Hills said.

The Nurse-Family Partnership is free for any woman who is pregnant with her first child, under 28 weeks gestation and meets income requirements. For more information, call (229) 312-4620.

File Photo: Carlton Fletcher