Martin County Healthy Start Coalition MOM Mobile Brings Prenatal Care to Martin County Neighborhoods
Stuart, Fla. - The MOM Mobile is on the move, bringing prenatal care to expectant women in neighborhoods throughout Martin County.
The Martin County Healthy Start Coalition held a ribbon cutting for its newest service, the MOM Mobile: Maternity on the Move, on June 20 and celebrated the beginning of a program that will change the landscape of maternity care in Martin County.
“Way back in 2019, this was our ‘pie in the sky’ idea – to bring prenatal care to pregnant women who couldn’t get to a doctor’s office or a clinic because of transportation problems,” said Martin County Healthy Start Coalition CEO Samantha Suffich. “It’s been a long, hard road, but thanks to our supportive partners and the compelling mission to connect women with prenatal care early in their pregnancy, we’re here and ready to roll.”
The MOM Mobile is a 38-foot van equipped like a prenatal care office, with an exam table, lab facilities, radiology equipment, and an educational area. Midwives will staff the van as it makes its rounds to five locations in Martin County: East Stuart, Golden Gate, Hobe Sound and Indiantown. Expectant women will get the same high level of care that they would get in the typical medical setting and have an opportunity to meet doulas who can help them through their pregnancy and birth. The staff is bilingual and representative of the clients who will be served.
“This is going to make a tremendous difference in the health of women who haven’t been able to access prenatal care and ultimately to the health of their babies,” said Dr. Ashley Calderone, President of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition Board of Directors. “We know stories of women who have had to take as many as three buses in this county with limited public transportation to get to an office appointment. That’s a huge strain, and sometimes women just give up on getting prenatal care. Our MOM Mobile changes everything for them!”
The mobile unit was purchased and outfitted with grants from Martin County, which allocated a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to the County as part of the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, plus a $100,000 Impact Grant from Impact100 Martin. Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, 100 Women Who Care of the Treasure Coast, and the of the Martin County Department of Health all contributed assistance and equipment. The program will be sustained thanks to funding from the Children’s Services Council of Martin County, the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, and the Hobe Sound Community Chest.
For more information about the MOM Mobile, its neighborhood schedule, and the many other services of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, visit www.mchealthystart.org.
About Martin County Healthy Start Coalition
Martin County Healthy Start Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every baby is born healthy. It provides educational and health services to pregnant women, new mothers and their families at no cost, particularly expectant mothers who are at risk for late or no prenatal care.
Part of a statewide coalition, Healthy Start connects pregnant women and young mothers with essential services including prenatal care, home visitations by a nurse or social worker, breastfeeding support, parenting education, car seat and sleeping safety, a free diaper pantry, and access to other community partner agencies through the Betty Moore Prenatal Outreach Center. The David Cardno Fatherhood Initiative, also part of the Martin County Healthy Start Coalition, helps fathers to become more involved in parenting and offers legal assistance to fathers who are separated from their children.
The programs of Martin County Healthy Start Coalition are voluntary and available to all Florida residents at no cost.
For more information about Martin County Healthy Start Coalition and its ongoing programs, visit www.mchealthystart.org, call 772-463-2888 or follow the organization on Facebook.