Maternal Health Heroes
February 2020
What is the mission of united way for greater austin?
"United Way for Greater Austin brings people, ideas, and resources together to fight poverty in our community. Since 1924, we have been dedicated to providing families and individuals in need with the tools and resources they need to thrive.”
Why does maternal health matter to you?
“As a mother, early childhood professional, and fellow Texan maternal health matters to me because our future depends on it. When mothers are healthy, families are healthy and communities are healthy.”
“Maternal health is a social justice issue and we stand on the side of what is equitably and just for moms and their babies.”
What is something you think Texas is doing well when it comes to combatting maternal mortality?
“Family Connects Texas is one great new addition to the standard of care for new mothers in our state. Family Connects provides a free nurse home visit to all moms around 3 weeks postpartum to assess the health of mom and baby and get the family connected to any needed resources. There are 5 pilot sites for the Family Connects Texas program throughout the state: Travis County, Bastrop County, Bexar County, Victoria County, and Tarrant County. Learn more about the program at www.FamilyConnectsTexas.org”
Where do you see opportunities for Texas/Texans to improve maternal health?
“Primarily, all women of reproductive age should have health care coverage and access to culturally responsive health care providers.”
“When women are healthy they have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.”
What has been your biggest takeaway or discovery since starting your work to improve maternal health?
“Our systems are deeply inequitable and we have far more work to do than I originally believed. The issues are also far more complex – it’s not as simple as scheduling an appointment with a physician; there are transportation barriers, language access barriers, and child care barriers that put up road blocks between mothers and their health providers. We can tackle them one by one in silos, or we could begin to recognize the systems at play and work to dismantle the barriers in more holistic ways.”
How can people support the ways in which you are involved in improving maternal health?
“Help us build awareness of the Family Connects Texas programs! Share the program with your friends, family, and social networks!”
When it comes to maternal health, what is the accomplishment or victory in which you take the most pride?
Launching Family Connects in Travis County has been one of my life’s joys! We served 768 new moms in 2019, and 15 of those families were experiencing an emergency at the time of the home visit. I know the nurses saved lives and I’m so incredibly proud to work with our team!
What else do you want people to know about the ways in which you or your organization is helping to improve maternal health in Texas?
“Our Success By 6 Initiatives are beginning to focus more of our efforts on prenatal supports. We would love to learn more about innovative ideas to improve equitable access to prenatal care in our community. Please reach out to our team with any additional information you might have!”
Interview given by Shalyn Bravens, Director of Family Connects and MIECHV