City Of Louisville: Study Shows Need For More Equitable Access To Prenatal Care In Jefferson County

Louisville KY

14 April, 2022

2:02 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Louisville: April 12, 2022 Stay up to date on Louisville Metro's COVID-19 testing, vaccines and more LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 11, 2022) — A newly released report sponsored by Ready for K Alliance, the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness (LMPHW) and Metro United Way, with support from the James Graham Brown Foundation – Louisville, provides a better understanding of barriers expecting and new mothers face in our community – specifically Black, immigrant and refugee mothers and those who have experienced substance use disorder. "Prenatal care is vital for preventing adverse birth outcomes, like low birth weight," said T Gonzales, director of the Center for Health Equity at LMPHW. "The goal of this report is to inform local and state policymakers, along with healthcare entities, of ways they can help provide greater access to culturally competent prenatal care for all Jefferson County residents." The Center for Health Equity (CHE) at LMPHW conducted a series of focus groups and interviews among 34 parents who had received prenatal care and/or gave birth in Louisville. All parents interviewed said pregnancy and birth were life-changing. Most parents reported positive experiences with prenatal care; however, they also highlighted issues including the difficulty of navigating the healthcare system, communication barriers, limitations on support available due to cost, experiences of racism from medical providers and feelings of isolation that were only exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions in healthcare settings. The study's findings point to the following policy and practice recommendations: "For children to grow into successful adults, we know they need a supportive and healthy early foundation which includes access to quality prenatal care," said Adria Johnson, president and CEO of Metro United Way. "The findings in this report will help us create next steps and solutions to ensure all parents in our community have the resources they need to ensure a lifetime of social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth for their children." "March of Dimes is grateful to the Ready for K Alliance and Center for Health Equity for taking the time and care to listen to parents' birthing experiences in an effort to improve prenatal care access in Louisville. The experiences shared of bias, stereotyping, mistrust, and lack of affordability should be a call to action for our entire community. Equitable access to care, particularly for Black and immigrant families, is a complex, multi-sector issue and this report successfully centered community voice while also making reasonable healthcare system and public policy recommendations that will lead to more healthy moms and strong babies," said Nicole Krider, Director of MCH Collective Impact at March of Dimes. Read the entire report including patient testimonials here. This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author's own.