New Partnership Expands Access to Prenatal Care

New York ranks 30th for women receiving adequate prenatal care and 21st for women with access to a dedicated quality health care provider, according to America’s Health Rankings.

To help improve access to prenatal care for approximately 500 underserved and homeless women each year in Brooklyn, New York, the United Health Foundation has launched a three-year, $3 million partnership with CAMBA, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides social services to New Yorkers in need.

“Expectant mothers in New York’s underserved communities often lack access to prenatal and postpartum care, which is essential to treat their distinct health needs. Our partnership with CAMBA will help expand access to care and address health disparities by adapting maternal care delivery to meet patients where they are.” Dr. Joseph Chiarella Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New York

How the Partnership Works

As part of the new partnership, CAMBA will deploy Community Health Workers (CHWs) to women in two family shelters and nine public housing developments in Brooklyn. The CHWs will conduct screenings and health assessments; provide educational workshops; and offer referrals to supportive food and nutrition, breastfeeding, mental health, housing and newborn care services. Funding will also support staffing, birth and postpartum doula support and the purchase of mobile medical vans.

Improving the Health of Mothers and Newborns

UnitedHealth Group is committed to improving the health of mothers and newborns, raising awareness for improved maternal health, and reducing the occurrence of avoidable maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. To date, UnitedHealth Group has provided more than $8 million in philanthropic grants to support maternal health. UnitedHealthcare’s Healthy Pregnancy and Maternity Support programs provide resources and services to help expectant mothers get the most out of their benefits, make informed decisions, and promote dialogue with care providers. The company is also actively addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes by providing coursework in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the March of Dimes.

Additional initiatives UnitedHealth Group has launched to help expectant mothers:

• The United Health Foundation recently announced a partnership with Touro University Nevada to help reduce maternal health disparities and increase the state’s OB-GYN and family medicine physician workforce. 
• Through the United Health Foundation’s partnership with Any Baby Can, a Texas-based organization, we are helping expand at-home maternal care services and improve the health of at-risk prenatal women and their children in Austin, Texas, and its surrounding communities.
• The United Health Foundation provided a grant to the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. The grant will help expand support for pregnant and postpartum women in rural and underserved areas of Georgia.