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News Release
News media contacts:
Osjetta Gascey-Morris, Texas Children’s Health Plan
832-828-1068 or
ocgascey@texaschildrens.org
Program offers free support and health services for
first-time moms
HOUSTON, TX - (July27, 2011) - Pregnant at 22, Brittney Chambers
found herself away from home in a new city with minimal support
and guidance. Originally, from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Chambers’
mother and grandmother died when she was a teenager.
For many first time expectant mothers having a baby is a
frightening experience. The Nurse Family Partnership in
conjunction with Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) helps
expectant mothers similar to Chambers improve prenatal care and
learn the skills needed to be good parents.
“I was stressed and overwhelmed before
I started the program,” said Chambers. “I was nervous about my
pregnancy and all the choices that I needed to make for me and
my son’s future.”
Nurse Family Partnership is an evidence-based program that pairs
registered nurses with pregnant women. The program enrolls
expectant moms early in their pregnancy, but no later than 28
weeks of pregnancy. In order to join the program, women must
also be Medicaid eligible and be a first-time mom.
Evelyn Olatunbosun, nurse home visitor, has worked closely with
Chambers over the last two years and has watched her grow and
conquer her fears.
“Brittney has been faced with many challenges throughout her
life,” Olatunbosun said. “As a teenager she was the caregiver
for her mother, who was diagnosed with a mental illness. Her
father had abandoned her. The resilient nature of Brittney wants
change and strives to achieve her goals, while pursuing her
desire of becoming a social worker.”
The program requires a Nurse Family Partnership nurse home
visitor to make home visits throughout the expectant mom’s
pregnancy. Once the baby is born, the nurse begins meeting
weekly with the new mom to make sure she is adjusting and not
showing signs of postpartum depression. The nurse assesses the
newborn to catch any problems as well as answers any questions
from the mom. The program follows the mom and child until the
child’s second birthday.
“The program is designed to help these women not only have a
healthy pregnancy, but also have healthy infants, good
relationships, and gain the skills needed to be good parents,”
said Adrian McKinney, Nurse Manager for the program. “It also
helps prevent premature birth. It’s a partnership that includes
mentoring, support and goal setting for these expectant
mothers.”
In addition to guiding the expectant mom through her pregnancy,
the program seeks to improve several areas of the expectant
mom’s life ranging from health, education and self-sufficiency.
The program achieves this through a partnering relationship
between the mom and her nurse assessing mom’s knowledge about
pregnancy and parenting, and her ability to connect with and
play with the baby. The nurse also helps the new mom set goals,
develop a budget, and get back in the work force.
With the help of the Nurse Family Partnership, Chambers recently
graduated from Prairie View A & M University with a degree in
Psychology.
Texas Children’s Health Plan was
founded in 1996 by Texas Children’s Hospital. It is the nation's
first health maintenance organization (HMO) created just for
children. Through a subcontractor role with the Health and Human
Services Commission (HHSC), Texas Children’s Health Plan
provides STAR/Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) to pregnant women, teens, children and adults in Houston
and surrounding areas.
Currently, the Health Plan has more
than 300,000 members. The staff and network of more than 2,100
providers are committed to providing excellent service and
patient care to Texas Children’s Health Plan members. Texas
Children’s Health Plan is also the largest combined STAR/CHIP
Managed Care Organization in the Harris County service area.
For more information on Texas
Children’s Health Plan, go to
www.TexasChildrensHealthPlan.org or call 1-800-990-8247.
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