STAFF HIGHLIGHT HEALTHIER FAMILIES, ONE MOM AT A TIME! By connecting new moms to care and resources, Regional One Health is building a stronger community. Having a healthy pregnancy and baby requires good health care…but it isn’t just about health care. Jehan Ellis, Maternal One Model Program Manager, thinks of it like this: An expectant mom goes to her prenatal visit. Her doctor tells her to eat healthier. They ask her to monitor her blood pressure. They schedule her next appointment and encourage her to avoid stress because it isn’t good for her or her baby. It’s all great advice – until reality intervenes, Ellis said. To donate scan the QR Code “Maybe she lives in a food dessert. A blood pressure monitor costs 50 bucks that she can’t spare. She can’t find a ride to her next appointment. She’s trying not to stress, but she’s making minimum wage and she doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from,” Ellis said. “We talk about health care, but what about her other needs?” “We need to bridge the gaps between the patient and community resources they need so they can truly improve their health.” Enter the Maternal One Model (MOM) Program, which was started at Regional One Health in August 2024. 12 Regional One Health Women’s Services leaders noted the success of the hospital’s ONE Health complex care program, which began in 2018 thanks to Regional One Health Foundation donors. ONE Health made Regional One Health a national leader in complex care by helping vulnerable patients access regular medical care and support for social determinants of health. “We thought, ‘This program is working for the adult population, why not have a program that works for our maternal population?’” Ellis said. Regional One Foundation applied for and received a grant to provide services to eligible patients who present to the Labor & Delivery Emergency Department. Later, that expanded to include antepartum and postpartum patients who qualify for services. Ellis said a number of evidence-based factors determine who qualifies for MOM. They include high-risk pregnancy, teen pregnancy, a baby in the NICU, and social determinants of health such as access to housing, food, transportation. Moms typically check several boxes, Ellis said. Patients enrolled in MOM usually need multiple services and can expect to stay in the program for up to a year. 2025 GRATITUDE REPORT
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