GREENSBORO, N.C. — You've probably heard of food deserts where access to grocery stores is limited depending on where you live.
Maternity care deserts work the same way. Across the U.S. there are areas where pregnant women do not have access to care and over time this can lead to higher infant mortality rates.
This is why Cone Health Medical Director Tanya Pratt says the hospital is doing a lot of things to improve maternity care like centering pregnancy.
"We also have mom plus baby combined care which is a novel way to do care that includes prenatal care for moms plus post-partum care up to the age of five," Dr. Tanya Pratt, Cone Health Medical Director said. "We also have implicit bias training for new team members so that we decrease the disparities that exist, and we are doing intentional work around hypertension especially in the post-partum period."
In a U.S. News & World Report over 600 hospitals from across the nation were evaluated and Cone Health along with Novant Health were a part of less than half that received the High Performing designation.
Maternity care in the U.S. is riddled with challenges between 2018 and 2021, the CDC says Infant mortality rates nearly doubled.
According to the March of Dimes, 21% of counties in North Carolina are in maternity care deserts and some of those areas might surprise you.
"Northern Virginia, Western part of Rockingham County and there are some access issues and even in the southern side of Greensboro. We are re-opening our renaissance office and considering a mom plus baby in southeast Greensboro, so we are working to put maternity care in those places," Dr. Pratt said.
Cone Health does have offices to help combat maternity care deserts and is looking to add more come 2024.
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