The Lauderdale Lakes Maternity Care and Heart Resource Center is staffed by seven providers that provide traditional maternal care, as well as other services like nutrition, social work and social determinants of health resources.
“I firmly believe in a patient-centered medical home model, where everyone works to the highest level of their competency and licensure,” Melida Akiti, MSW, corporate transformation executive at the system, told Becker’s. “Healthcare has become so individualized, but we need to shift to a more collaborative, team-based approach. That’s what makes this program so successful.”
The facility’s shining program is Centering, a structured 90-minute group session.
“It’s not group therapy, but rather an opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and learn from each other,” Ms. Akiti said. “This model gives women extended time with healthcare professionals while also creating a support network. Centering has been proven effective because it recreates that community and village support system that women used to have during pregnancy.”
During the sessions, women in the same stage of pregnancy are able to talk together about common issues. Throughout the session, they each get a turn to speak with their OB-GYN for about 15 to 20 minutes before returning to the group.
Leaders expected it would take time to educate the community about the clinic and gain trust for patients to come, so they only expected to serve around 300 in the first year. However, as of February, they have served 1,373 women across 4,600 appointments. Many patients are on Medicare or uninsured.
What led to such success? Ms. Akiti said it was building the facility with best practices in mind.
“We have an ultrasound room already set up, which is something many clinics don’t have,” she said. “We also have a daycare, so moms can bring their children while they receive care. The thought process was: What does a mother need to feel comfortable coming to this clinic? We wanted a true one-stop shop, and that’s why, even with the growth we’ve seen, space has not been a problem.”
And Broward Health plans to continue that success. They are currently working on identifying all the maternal care deserts in their service area and determining if they can create brick-and-mortar clinics or deploy mobile units. They are also hiring OB-GYNs and expanding the Centering program to other clinics.
“By 2026, I want to be able to say, ‘These areas were maternal care deserts, but they no longer are,'” she said. “We will have data showing a decrease in maternal mortality. Right now, the U.S. lags behind other industrialized nations, but we can — and must — change that.”
