MOMS stands for Medicaid Obstetrical Maternal Service and its goal is to help medicaid-eligible pregnant women have a healthy pregnancy. They provide pre- and postpartum nursing and education on various preventative subjects like nutrition, infant growth and development, exercise etc. This is a great service offered to women who may be in difficult situations with no supportive family or means to gain knowledge and be educated on their pregnancy and how to care for a child otherwise. MOMS works with its members to find "the right doctor for you and your baby" and maintain relationships with local doctors in order to help mothers in need find a good fit. The great thing that MOMS offers in addition to all of its educational program is support. It teaches women how to register for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) a federal program that provides nutrition and health care supplements to women and children up to five years who are nutritionally deficient. Each pregnant woman who comes to MOMS is assigned a MOMS nurse who personally follows through with that woman throughout her pregnancy.
The great thing about MOMS is it gives women information that they can use for years to come. The Cayuga County Department of Health, which is located right in the town of Auburn also offers additional services such as flu shot clinics and other community health services.
As a future doctor, programs like this are great, but only can be optimally effective when recommended to the right patients at the right time. Prenatal care makes a huge difference in a baby's life as well as the mother's, and as a doctor I may have patients who are going through difficult times, and having the support of a group like MOMS will help give them personal attention and education that I may not be able to offer as fully as a program like this will be able to. Being aware of programs that are offered locally like this is crucial for their success and also to make the most out of preventative resources available and optimize the chances of producing healthy mothers and children in my community.
References
http://co.cayuga.ny.us/hhs/doh/communityhealth/moms.htm
http://web.cayugacounty.us/web/Departments/HealthDepartment/CommunityHealthServices.aspx
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/
