In an interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Angela D. Thomas, DrPH, MPH, MBA, vice president of health care delivery research at MedStar Health, discussed the impact of the Safe Baby Safe Moms program. Launched in April 2020 with funding from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, the initiative is focused on improving maternal and child health outcomes, especially in the District of Columbia.
The program primarily supports families receiving care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, working alongside a range of community partners, including Community of Hope and Mamatoto Village. The goal is to provide comprehensive care across five key stages: pre-conception, prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, and early childhood (ages 0 to 3). During these stages, the program addresses social determinants of health, behavioral health needs, and offers personalized care coordination.
The program has implemented over 70 interventions, such as identifying pre-conception health risks like hypertension, managing conditions like gestational diabetes during prenatal care, promoting immediate postpartum practices like skin-to-skin contact, and providing follow-up care during early childhood. It also includes innovative solutions like medical-legal partnerships to tackle health-related legal issues. For example, the program assists families with unsafe housing conditions, like mold, which can worsen asthma, and supports pregnant individuals facing workplace discrimination.
A key focus of Safe Baby Safe Moms is reducing health disparities, particularly for Black birthing individuals. Research plays a crucial role in this effort. MedStar’s health equity researchers track over 50 metrics, including screening rates for social and behavioral health needs. Early results from the program show significant improvements, including lower rates of low birth weight, preterm birth, cesarean sections, and postpartum readmissions. Black birthing individuals in the program showed better health outcomes compared to both those outside the program and White individuals not enrolled.
As the program approaches the end of its initial five-year period, there are plans for its continued impact, focusing on sustaining improvements in maternal and child health equity.
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