Blood Sugar Levels During Labour

Strong Start is a federally-funded project of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that offers enhanced prenatal care interventions for women enrolled in Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program.   In February of 2013, the Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions (FAHSC) was awarded Strong Start funding to pilot a Maternity Medical Home model of prenatal care in the Tampa Bay region. Three Healthy Start Coalitions are partnering with FAHSC to pilot Strong Start: The Healthy Start Coalition of Hillsborough County; the Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas County; and the Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties.

Each Coalition contracts with the organizations or medical practices that will be hosting the Strong Start program in that county.   Strong Start’s Maternal Health Specialists are co-located within prenatal medical care offices. As part of the medical team responsible for the care of pregnant patients, these specialists offer intensive health education, medical case management and treatment coordination to women screened to be at greatest risk for poor birth outcomes.   Utilizing the Maternity Medical Home approach, the goal of Strong Start is to:

• Reduce the rate of preterm births
• Improve the health outcomes of pregnant women and newborns
• Decrease the anticipated total cost of medical care during pregnancy, delivery and over the first year of life for children born to low-income mothers

Healthy Start Coalition of Hardee, Highlands and Polk Counties, Inc. is partnering with the Florida Department of Health in Polk County’s Lakeland Clinic and with a private provider, Exodus Women’s Center, Inc. in Lakeland to offer Strong Start services to pregnant patients of these medical services.  Pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid are eligible for Strong Start and can meet with Strong Start Maternal Health Specialists during regularly-scheduled prenatal care appointments.

Enrollment occurs prior to the 24th week of their pregnancies, and participants must have a qualifying condition that places them at-risk for poor birth outcomes.   The Maternity Medical Home model facilitates and encourages direct communication between the specialists and medical staff to provide improved quality of care for the patient. Strong Start participants receive a variety of educational, medical and supportive services, which can include:

• Educational materials tailored to specific medical needs and diagnosis
• Instruction on self- monitoring tests during pregnancy, including, for example, how to use glucose meters to test blood sugar levels
• Education on medications that are safe and those that should be avoided during pregnancy
• Instruction on how to schedule necessary appointments and the purpose of the appointments
• Instruction on techniques and strategies to communicate effectively with healthcare providers
• Instruction on how and when to seek support from family, friends and community resources
• Coaching to encourage treatment compliance and healthy behaviors during pregnancy
• Promotion of medical compliance, including monitoring participant’s progress on medical goals,  re-assessing goals and adjusting treatment plans

Strong Start specialists’ help their new moms schedule post-partum appointments for themselves as well as ensure that their infants will have secured medical providers/specialists for future and follow-up care. Postpartum appointments will include education on family planning, including the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver, and ensure that the participant has a plan for birth control in place.

Contact: Stephanie Johns, EdS Director, Strong Start Maternal Medical Home Project (813) 514-0727 sjohns@hstart.org

STAFF Executive Director Charlene Edwards, MPA / cedwards@healthystarthhp.org

Healthy Start Program & MomCare Tonya Akwetey, MPH, Community Liaison / takwetey@healthystarthhp.org Spring Dority, Contracts Coordinator / sdority@healthystarthhp.org Gloria Camacho, MomCare Coordinator / gcamacho@healthystarthhp.org

Florida Department of Health in Polk County Ann Brice, RN, Strong Start Maternal Health Specialist / ann.brice@flhealth.gov Deedree Zerfas, Health Center Administrator/Healthy Start Director / deedree.zerfas@flhealth.gov

Tampa Obstetrics Exodus Women’s Center 1525 Lakeland Hills Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33805 Maternal Health Specialist / Amber Kilgore is the RN / akilgore@reachupincorporated.org

Strong Start Project Stephanie Johns, EdS / Project Director / sjohns@hstart.org Cheryl Underwood / Quality Improvement Manager / cunderwood@hstart.org