In response to rising infant mortality rates, the Seminole County Health Department (SCHD) has embarked on a new strategy of providing comprehensive prenatal care for county residents. The system that had been in place since the late 1980s only provided care to the uninsured and Medicaid pregnant women for the first 26 weeks at the health department. Then patients were referred to local doctors who provided the final stages of care, delivery and the post-partum visit.

 

The new strategy developed a public/private partnership bringing private practice physicians into the health department to see patients throughout their entire pregnancy to include the hospital delivery. Since many of the women were already receiving services from the SCHD, such as family planning, dental, WIC and Healthy Start, centralizing all care to one location would make it easier on the expectant mother. 

 

In 2007 the first private practice physician group with Drs. Climer, Philips and Bishop began providing prenatal care at the health department and delivering babies at South Seminole Hospital. Initially, new patients would have the option of either entering our traditional model of care or could opt for the new program. However, it only took a short time before the program was overwhelmed with clients wanting to be seen by these doctors. In an effort to offer choices and expand the program’s capacity, a second partnership was developed in 2008 with the Florida Provider Medical Group (FPMG), consisting of Drs. Ravelo and Mowere. With the addition of FPMG, patients now had the option of delivering at Florida Hospital Altamonte which meant two of the three county hospitals were now offered. 

 

This innovative program continued its success and in 2009, the team of Drs. Perin, Rashada and Teitelbaum joined the team delivering their patients’ babies at Central Florida Hospital in Sanford. With all three county hospitals covered, women now have the ability to select their hospital of choice where they can deliver their baby close to where they live. 

 

The tremendous success of this unique program can be measured by improved outcomes. One quarter of all the pregnant women in Seminole County now use the health department for their prenatal care services. Since its inception, this new program model has resulted in doubling the number of patients from 600 to 1,200 per year and infant mortality has dropped from 38 per 1000 to 28 per 1000. Over 550 healthy babies have been born through this new innovative model of care in the first year, including three sets of twins. Because of the successful outcomes, plans are currently underway to add a fourth full day of prenatal services to meet the increasing demand for providers.

 

The public health system is about improving health outcomes. Seminole County is improving the health of babies through partnerships that are making a difference.