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/
I'm glad to see programs like this in place to help underserved mothers-to-be have a healthy pregnancy and baby. It is a shame the things that can go wrong that are so easily preventable by simple interventions in a pregnancy by good prenatal care. Additionally, the education of the mothers to help keep their young children healthy through proper nutrition is great. I agree with you that it is our obligation as future physicians to be cognizant of these programs and help our patients utilize them for the future health and that of their children.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the doctor matching system. We recently had a baby at Crouse here in Syracuse, and they were constantly asking where we lived. One thing I did not know is that here in Central New York, the patients in an OB/GYN practice may live 2 or more counties away, especially in a high risk case. So, it seems to me that establishing local care for these underprivileged mothers-to-be is the right approach.
ReplyDeleteI liked the point that the relationship is going to continue after birth into early childhood. This is a very worrisome time for new parents. Every month can bring a new facet of child development that brings another concern, like when is the first tooth coming or why are their infants legs bowed. Just having a link to a medical provider could both relieve many a concern about normal child behaviors but also spot abnormal conditions sooner.
ReplyDeleteThis program sounds like a great outlet for new mothers to use. Many women do not have adequate prenatal care, mainly because they cannot afford it due to the cost and/or lack of health insurance. With the focus of our class on rural areas, I suspect we are more likely to see women that have not had prenatal care and I agree with you that we should make more of an effort to direct these patients to helpful programs, such as this one. In addition, I think it is awesome that this program offers assistance to mothers even after the baby is born!
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