Sometimes the statistics prove too disturbing to ignore, and the maternal morbidity is heartbreaking. In Illinois, an average of 75 women die each year during pregnancy or in the year after. Four out of five of these deaths are preventable, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s “2021 Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report.”
In response, a community-wide effort to reduce maternal morbidity through the Sangamon County Nurse-Family Partnership has positively impacted the lives of first-time mothers and their babies. The program is currently funded by area groups, including the Lincoln Country Community Foundation, the Sangamon County Health Department, private donors through the SIU School of Medicine Foundation, and a grant through the National Nurse-Family Partnership.
Lindsey Slid, RN, BSN, works through the SIU School of Medicine’s Office of Community Care as the Sangamon County Nurse-Family Partnership Program Coordinator. The program uses specially trained nurses to build relationships and schedule regular visits with young first-time mothers-to-be during pregnancy until the child’s second birthday.
The goal? Using one-to-one relationships between nurses and families to empower first-time mothers to transform their lives and create better outcomes for themselves and their babies.
Previous column:The Anne Fitzstephens Trust preserves the legacy by name
“Our nurses work with families as partners to achieve their individual goals, address their individual needs and take small steps toward better health outcomes,” Sleade said. “They also connect families with community resources and provide information that will support each family’s individual goals.”
That personalized support makes a difference in the lives of the 25 families served in Sangamon County. Nurses go to families wherever they agree to meet. They work together to determine the number of visits, whether weekly, monthly or bi-monthly.
Nationally, NFP is evidence-based and draws on 45 years of research showing significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time mothers and their children affected by social and economic inequality. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions than white women.
The data-driven focus has attracted Community Foundation staff and local philanthropists, including Anne and Ray Capestrain who have a donor-advised fund within the Community Foundation. The Capestrain-Traci Family Fund has come together with the SIU Foundation to support the NFP program in Sangamon County for the past five years. They were particularly impressed with the evidence-based model showing improved outcomes for children and first-time mothers.
“NFP has been good for Ray and me,” said Anne Capestrain. “Prior to retirement, we were both in the medical field. We were thrilled to support a proven program that improves the lives of women and children. We hope that the positive results of the NFP will demonstrate to policymakers in Illinois that this is a sound investment to incorporate into early childhood development programs across the state.
Nationally, the median age of NFP mothers is 20, and more than a third of them have an income of less than $6,000 a year. The need is great, and one of the challenges of the program is promoting its availability. A woman must be less than 28 weeks pregnant when she enrolls in the program. For enrollment information, call 217-545-0175.
While NFP’s first three years of seed funding in Sangamon County came from the Community Foundation, Memorial Health, St. John’s and the SIU School of Medicine Foundation, additional donors joined the effort.
“We are very pleased that NFP is making an important difference in Sangamon County,” Sleade said. “We look forward to developing a sustainable program that will make a difference now and in the future for measurable results for first-time families.”
To learn more about the Nurse Family Partnership, visit www.siumed.edu/communiticare/nurse-family-partnership.
