Loyola Medicine and Aetna Better Health team up to improve maternal health
Loyola Medicine today announced it has received a $100,180 grant award from Aetna Better Health of Illinois, a CVS Health company, to assist in meeting a number of maternal health goals for the communities it serves by helping to bring the CenteringParenting program to Loyola.
Loyola strives to increase the number of women engaging in prenatal, early life and postpartum care, particularly among those with limited available support during pregnancy and those with significant financial need. By offering more personalized prenatal care through the CenteringParenting program, Loyola aims to reduce maternal complications; reduce the risk of preterm birth and lessen disparities in preterm birth rates; reduce the risk of NICU admission; and reduce triage visits.
“We are grateful for this grant and know that it will contribute to improving the well-being of our most vulnerable mothers and babies,” says Ronald K. Potkul, MD, professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Loyola.
“Access to maternal health care is critical to affecting more positive outcomes for pregnant moms and babies and to reducing health disparities, particularly with regards to maternal mortality and preterm births,” said Kim Foltz, CEO of Aetna Better Health of Illinois. “That’s why we’re continually working with community and provider partners such as Loyola to reduce barriers and increase access to care, especially for historically underserved communities.”
The CenteringParenting program engages parents in their baby’s care and fosters a supportive environment for parents to ask questions. It brings parents, partners, support people and their same-age infants who may be sharing similar pre- and postnatal experiences together with their healthcare providers. Providers and support staff facilitate discussions and interactive activities on topics such as safe sleep, breastfeeding, nutrition, early literacy, development and safety. They also address topics related to a mother’s health and wellness, including stress management, nutrition and weight and family planning.
Aetna Better Health of Illinois offers quality, affordable health care to individuals through the State’s HealthChoice Illinois Medicaid program. The health plan and serves nearly 400,000 members in 102 counties.
