Partnership aims to address pregnancy health
disparities in Florida
MELBOURNE, Fla., Aug. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading
cause of maternal death in the state of Florida. To address this
critical issue, Florida
Blue and Florida Woman Care are teaming up with the
Preeclampsia Foundation to distribute hundreds of their Cuff Kits™
to maternal health providers to help patients monitor their blood
pressure from home during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Seventy-seven percent of pregnancy-related deaths occur during
the postpartum period, according to a recent state report from
Florida's Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review (PAMR). The
PAMR is an ongoing system of surveillance that collects and
analyzes information related to maternal deaths in order to promote
care and system improvements through evidence-based actions to
lower risks for pregnancy-related deaths. Preeclampsia occurs in
about 5% of all pregnancies and is one of the leading causes of
maternal deaths. Annually, it is responsible for more than 70,000
maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal deaths worldwide.
"Complications from hypertensive disorders of pregnancy,
including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and
HELLP syndrome, often go unnoticed because the symptoms mimic
normal pregnancy symptoms," said Preeclampsia Foundation CEO
Eleni Tsigas. "The Cuff Kit™ program
builds a partnership between a patient and her provider to ensure
she understands the importance of blood pressure monitoring, knows
her numbers, and prioritizes sharing it with her healthcare
provider."
The Cuff Kit™ program, initially launched to support increase in
telehealth monitoring, includes a pregnancy-validated home blood
pressure cuff and educational materials to train patients on how to
accurately take and record their blood pressure. The program
provides flexibility in use across multiple clinical settings
(those with and without telehealth options) because of its app
integration capabilities and inclusion of a traditional paper blood
pressure log and instruction sheet that is available in 12
different global languages. As part of the program, health
care providers can opt-in to share deidentified patient data and
provider perspectives to further research into self-measured blood
pressure as an innovative maternal health improvement strategy.
"By identifying pregnancy-related complications early, we can
ensure timely interventions that safeguard the health and
well-being of both mothers and their babies," said GuideWell and
Florida Blue Chief Health Equity
Officer and VP of Medical Affairs Dr. Kelli
Tice. "This innovative and collaborative effort underscores
our shared commitment to health equity, ensuring that every mom,
including those who are highest risk, has the support and resources
needed for a safe and healthy pregnancy."
The partnership seeks to specifically engage communities of
color in the state, who are disproportionately affected by health
disparities and at higher risk for pregnancy complications like
preeclampsia. Blood pressure cuff use between prenatal visits and
during the postpartum period can help patients and providers
identify and treat problems and lower preventable, adverse birth
outcomes for mothers and babies.
"Florida Woman Care (FWC) is thrilled to be selected as the Cuff
Kit Project partner," said FWC Medical Director Dr. Aaron Sudbury. "Physicians and advanced practice
providers across the state are now able to provide access to
critical blood pressure monitoring regardless of a patient's
economic situation. Our partnership with Florida Blue and the Preeclampsia Foundation
will help us overcome social determinants of health barriers,
reduce maternal health risks, and improve outcomes for moms and
babies."
For more information about the Cuff Kit, please visit
www.preeclampsia.org/the-cuff-project
About Florida Woman Care
Florida Woman Care has grown
to more than 250 locations with 600 providers who offer traditional
women's healthcare services in addition to maternal-fetal medicine,
urogynecology, onsite mammography and laboratory services.
Practices are located across the entire State of Florida – from the Panhandle to
South Miami.
About the Preeclampsia Foundation
The Preeclampsia
Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive
disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the
community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. For
more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.
Contact:
Laney Poye
Director of Communications & Engagement
(321)
421-6957
381404@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Preeclampsia Foundation