New and pregnant moms are invited to a Community Baby Shower in Lock Haven on Tuesday.
The shower kicks off the Clinton County State Health Center’s new maternal health pilot project, which aims to bolster rural maternal healthcare. Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and developed with the state Department of Health and UPMC of North Central PA, the $1.3 million program plans to fund thirteen services for moms.
Thirteen services through Clinton’s maternal health program
- Health assessments and vital sign monitoring
- Depression screening
- Fetus height measurements
- Urine pregnancy testing
- Chlamydia/gonorrhea testing and treatment
- HIV testing and referrals
- Vaccinations (Tdap, Influenza, COVID, and RSV)
- Initial and catch-up prenatal labs (for UPMC patients)
- Prenatal vitamins
- Condoms
- Car seat safety checks
- Educational sessions and materials on prenatal and postpartum topics
- Social service referrals for mental health, substance misuse, WIC, SNAP, health coverage, food insecurity, housing and transportation needs
DHS will fund the pilot program for two years, which will be used to create a statewide model for pre- and post-pregnancy care in rural areas, according to DHS.
Tomorrow’s shower is from 3-7 p.m. at the Clinton County State Health Center, 300 Bellefonte Ave, Suite 100, Lock Haven.
— Isabela Weiss