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Sometimes, a statistic proves too jarring to ignore, and maternal morbidity is a heartbreaker. In Illinois, 75 women on average 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 Nurse-Family Partnership of Sangamon County has positively influenced the lives of first-time moms and their babies. The program is currently funded by area groups including the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, the Sangamon County Health Department, private donors through the SIU School of Medicine Foundation, and a grant through the national Nurse-Family Partnership organization.
Lindsay Sleade, RN, BSN, works through SIU School of Medicine’s Office of Community Care as program coordinator for the Nurse-Family Partnership of Sangamon County. The program uses specially educated nurses to create relationships and schedule regular visits with young, first-time moms-to-be throughout pregnancy through the child’s second birthday.
The goal? Using one-on-one relationships between nurses and families to empower first-time moms to transform their lives and create better outcomes for themselves and their babies.
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“Our nurses work with families as a partner to reach their individual goals, address their individual needs and make small steps toward improved health outcomes,” said Sleade. “Also, they connect families to community resources and provide information that will support each family’s individual goals.”
That personalized support makes a difference in the lives of 25 families being served in Sangamon County. The nurses go to the families wherever they agree to meet. They work together to determine the number of visits, whether weekly, monthly or twice monthly.
Nationally, NFP is evidence-based and relies 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 a pregnancy-related condition than white women.
The data-driven focus attracted Community Foundation staff and local philanthropists, including Anne and Ray Capestrain who have a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation. The Capestrain-Tracy Family Fund has come alongside the SIU Foundation to support the NFP program in Sangamon County over the past five years. They were especially impressed by the evidence-based model that demonstrates improved outcomes for children and first-time moms.
“The NFP was a good fit for Ray and me,” said Anne Capestrain. “Prior to retirement, we had both been in the medical field. We were thrilled to support a proven program that improves women and children’s lives. We hope the positive results from NFP will prove to Illinois policymakers that this is a good investment to incorporate into early childhood development programs statewide.”
Nationally, the median age of NFP mothers is 20, and more than a third of those have an income of less than $6,000 annually. The need is great, and one of the program’s challenges is to promote 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 the first three years of start-up funding for NFP in Sangamon County came from the Community Foundation, Memorial Health, St. John’s Hospital, and the SIU School of Medicine Foundation, additional donors have joined the effort.
“We are so pleased to have NFP making an important difference in Sangamon County,” said Sleade. “We look forward to growing a sustainable program that will make a difference now and in the future for measurable outcomes for first time families.”
To learn more about the Nurse-Family Partnership, visit www.siumed.edu/communitycare/nurse-family-partnership.
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