Pregnancy is typically divided into trimesters. A new AdventHealth for Women program focuses on the fourth trimester, meaning the 12 weeks after delivery.
Coordinators work with mothers enrolled in the initiative before they leave the hospital on taking care of themselves once they get home.
The program to strengthen postpartum care was formed in response to a trend: Hospital data showed higher readmission rates for Black and African American mothers following cesarean section compared to white mothers, and postpartum high blood pressure was the leading cause for readmission.
AdventHealth for Women’s Fourth Trimester program empowered Eliza Gordon with the knowledge and tools to recognize that there was something seriously wrong with her health and she needed to return to the hospital. It happened shortly after she brought her third child, Trinity, to their home in DeLand.
Gordon connected with Erike King, a care coordinator for AdventHealth for Women’s Fourth Trimester program. King works one-on-one with moms, ensuring they get the postpartum care needed. She also educates them about managing high blood pressure and other health concerns.
AdventHealth for Women is already expanding this program. It found that since its inception, there has been a 20% reduction in readmissions for Black mothers who had C-sections. The program tackles the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S.
The National Institutes of Health reports that compared to white women, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy or the year after.
Gordon, King and Dr. Rizwana Fareeduddin, executive medical director for women’s services at AdventHealth for Women, join CFPM's Engage to discuss the program. Click on the "Listen" button above.
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