The mobile unit, made possible through a collaboration with
March of Dimes, brings quality pregnancy and women's health care to
underserved communities.
NEW
YORK, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
NewYork-Presbyterian today announced the launch of a Mom & Baby
Mobile Health Center that provides high-quality health care to
women who are pregnant and of childbearing age in underserved
communities in New York City.
The Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center® is provided
through a collaboration with March of Dimes and is their first in
the tristate area. The mobile center brings pregnancy, post-birth,
and women's health care directly to women right in their
communities, regardless of their insurance or immigration
status.
Services include full obstetric and well-woman exams, prenatal
and postpartum care, screenings for cervical cancer and sexually
transmitted infections (STIs), breast exams, vaccination,
laboratory testing, ultrasounds, contraceptive counseling, mental
health screenings and referrals, and education about caring for a
newborn with breastfeeding support for new moms. Patients are
scheduled, as needed, with an appointment for follow-up care at a
medical location.
"The Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center offers a bridge to
care," says Dr. Auja McDougale, the mobile center's medical
director, who is an obstetrician and gynecologist at
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and an assistant
professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell
Medicine. "Bringing patients into the healthcare system so they
have ongoing much-needed medical care is vital for healthy moms and
healthy babies."
About one in 18 infants is born to a woman receiving late or no
prenatal care in New York,
according to March of Dimes. Early and regular prenatal care can
improve the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and baby.
"March of Dimes is proud to assist families at every stage of
the pregnancy journey, even when access to high-quality care is out
of reach," says Darcy Dreyer, March
of Dimes Director of Maternal Infant Health for New York. "Our mobile health centers offer
on-the-ground, maternal health programs with services aimed at
bringing support, education and care to moms, moms-to-be and their
families."
Staffed by a team of NewYork-Presbyterian healthcare providers,
the 40-foot unit has two exam rooms and an intake and lab area with
refrigerators for specimens, medications, and
vaccines.
NewYork-Presbyterian's Division of Community and Population
Health collaborates with community-based organizations to bring the
mobile health unit to the women the groups serve. The Mom and Baby
Bus currently visits two shelters for unhoused women and families
in Queens, operated by the
non-profit agency CAMBA, with plans to expand to additional
neighborhoods in Queens and
Brooklyn that have high rates of
late or no prenatal care.
The mobile unit aims to help close the access gap, reduce health
disparities, and improve health outcomes for moms, babies, and
women of childbearing age.
About NewYork-Presbyterian
NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the nation's most comprehensive,
integrated academic healthcare systems, encompassing 10 hospitals
across the Greater New York area,
nearly 200 primary and specialty care clinics and medical groups,
and an array of telemedicine services.
A leader in medical education, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is
affiliated with two renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell
Medicine and Columbia University
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. This collaboration
means patients have access to the country's leading physicians, the
full range of medical specialties, latest innovations in care, and
research that is developing cures and saving lives.
Founded 250 years ago, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has a long
legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, from the invention
of the Pap test to pioneering the groundbreaking heart valve
replacement procedure called TAVR.
NewYork-Presbyterian's 50,000 employees and affiliated
physicians are dedicated to providing the highest quality, most
compassionate care to New Yorkers and patients from across the
country and around the world.
For more information, visit www.nyp.org and find us on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About March of Dimes
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and
babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education
and advocacy so that every family can get the best possible start.
Since 1938, we've built a successful legacy to support every
pregnant person and every family. To learn more about March of
Dimes, please visit marchofdimes.org.
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SOURCE NewYork-Presbyterian