Sussex County's MOMS Initiative Bridges Gaps in Maternal Health for Underserved Women

A new initiative in Sussex County aims to improve maternal health care for underserved women. MOMS will connect pregnant women in rural Delaware with essential services earlier in their pregnancies. The programme focuses on helping women of colour and immigrant families who often struggle to access care. Latina women in the county frequently face barriers when seeking prenatal, postpartum, and reproductive health care. These include a lack of obstetrical providers, language services, insurance, transportation, and financial difficulties. Many in Southern Delaware also struggle to reach women’s health services due to limited transport options.

MOMS addresses these challenges by bringing maternal health services directly into communities. The initiative uses community health workers, doulas, and a mobile health unit to reach those in need. La Red’s version of the programme includes a bilingual community health worker and a bilingual Latina doula.

Elisama Garcia-Aguilar, La Red’s bilingual doula, helps women navigate the health care system and cultural differences. Yazmin Paul, a first-time mother of Mexican heritage, found doula support invaluable during her high-risk pregnancy. It helped her advocate for her birth plan and manage the complexities of her situation.

Lisa Butterworth, a certified nurse midwife, highlighted the higher maternal morbidity and mortality rates among women of colour. She attributed this to systemic failures rather than genetic factors. The MOMS initiative seeks to reduce disparities in maternal health care. By providing direct, culturally sensitive support, it aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable women in Sussex County. The programme’s mobile services and bilingual team are designed to overcome common barriers to access.