Safe Start Community Health Worker Program: A Multisector Partnership to Improve Perinatal Outcomes Among Low-Income Pregnant Women With Chronic Health Conditions

Am J Public Health. 2020 Jun;110(6):836-839. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305630. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

Abstract

Safe Start is a community health worker program representing a partnership between a high-volume, inner-city, hospital-based prenatal clinic; a community-based organization; a large Medicaid insurer; and a community behavioral health organization to improve perinatal outcomes among publicly insured pregnant women with chronic health conditions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of June 2019, 291 women participated in the program. Relative to a comparison group (n = 300), Safe Start participants demonstrate improved engagement in care, reduced antenatal inpatient admissions, and shorter neonatal intensive care unit stays.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Chronic Disease / therapy*
  • Community Health Services* / methods
  • Community Health Services* / organization & administration
  • Community Health Workers
  • Female
  • Health Promotion
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Philadelphia
  • Poverty
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / therapy*
  • Pregnancy Outcome / epidemiology*
  • Prenatal Care / methods*
  • Young Adult