| Learning Objective #1: Describe the process used to set up a community, collaborative, prenatal care team | |||
| Learning Objective #2: State the benefits to the community and the prenatal population that occur when providers and community agencies develop relationships and share best practice |
The Infant Health Implementation Team is a committee of Healthy Kent 2010, the community resource group created to improve the health and well being of the residents of Kent County, Michigan. The Implementation Team has four goals: 1) to reduce overall infant mortality by eliminating the disparity between the white population and other minority populations, 2) to ensure high-level quality care to all pregnant women, 3) to improve access to quality prenatal care, and 4) to increase collaboration between organizations working with pregnant women. Implementation Team members began their goal work with a literature search to locate “best practice” prenatal care. This led to the development of 13 Prenatal Care Core Concepts, all backed by evidence based research or accepted educational principles. Local physicians gave input and suggestions. These concepts include appropriate prenatal care, assessments for behavior or conditions that could potentially jeopardize a healthy outcome, and educational goals developed collaboratively with the pregnant woman. Implementation Team members conducted an assessment of providers to determine if the Core Concepts were a part of prenatal care, and to locate any local “best practices” that could be shared with other providers. All community clinics and many private office sites were visited and data collected. The Implementation Team convened four community meetings, attended by provider office representatives and community agencies. Attendees learned partnership skills like dialogue, and heard about national “best practice” prenatal initiatives. As relationships developed and sharing increased, it became apparent that there was a need to create a Community Prenatal Partnership Council to continue the visionary collaborative work started in the areas of breastfeeding, a shared screening and information tool, mental health/postpartum depression, and cultural perceptions. Additional goals are the development of a community prenatal continuum of care, a resource/referral guide and eventual public health surveillance and reporting.
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