We're Still Hard at Work for Georgia Families
These are hard and uncertain times for families across Georgia. We want to remind you that the HMHBGA Staff & Board are still committed to ensuring expectant and postpartum families get the resources, education and support they need. Even as we all practice social distancing, we will be able to continue the following services and projects remotely:
We are continuing to operate all of our Call Center lines, including the Georgia Family Healthline (see below) to ensure families can get critical information and provider referrals.
We have made our evidence-informed prenatal education course available online every Monday (register below).
Our working groups are still moving forward to address Georgia's persistent maternal and infant health disparities. Thank you to our stakeholders for their continued work on these critical issues:
- Oral Health & Pregnancy
- Quality Prenatal Education
- Doula Access
- Infant Mortality Prevention
- Planning for Healthy Babies Waiver Access & Utilization
We are working with partners across the maternal and infant health fields to create two toolkits to help navigate the health system during this confusing time:
- Virtual Doula Toolkit- how doulas can transition their practice to serving families virtually as needed.
- Maternal Health During COVID Toolkit - guidance for families on how to plan for pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period during the COVID response. (coming out soon!)
We are also continuing to monitor the State Budget process and engage in policy advocacy to ensure information gets out to families quickly as Medicaid and other maternal and infant healthcare policies change during the Public Health Emergency.
How You Can Help:
We are facing the same challenges as many other non-profits in our community. We have postponed our biggest fundraiser of the year - our Inspiring Mothers of Georgia Awards Luncheon (now August 9). As a result, HMHBGA is facing a major shortfall for our current fiscal year.
We are also trying to reach as many families in Georgia as possible to let them know about our services - including the Georgia Family Healthline, Free Online Prenatal Education, Virtual Doula Access and more!
In the face of an unprecedented health crisis, HMHBGA remains committed to the health and well being of mothers and infants throughout Georgia. With that in mind, we need your help .
Here's what you can do today, tomorrow or the next day to help us achieve our mission of improving maternal and infant health in Georgia:
- Make a Donation. Every dollar will make an impact.
- Donate your Birthday or host a fundraisier on Facebook for HMHBGA.Share our content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Let providers and expecting/postpartum families know about our services and resources!
Free Online Prenatal Education Classes for Georgia Moms!
Out of an abundance of caution and care for our community and Georgia moms during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, our prenatal education classes are now being held online! As always, our classes are a judgment-free zone to ask questions about pregnancy, baby care, WIC, Medicaid, insurance, staying healthy, and more!
Join us for a 90-minute course and get everything you need for a happy, healthy pregnancy. There is no fee and the course is open to any child-bearing person who is currently pregnant or has given birth within the past 6 months.
The class will be hosted by: Nikki Reeves, ICCE, ICBD, PMH-C.
Classes are held every Monday from 11:00AM - 12:30PM during April.
Virtual Doula Toolkit Now Available!
This toolkit is meant to provide doulas with the tools needed to provide virtual doula services to clients. Given that the current recommendations suggest that we practice social distancing, and that hospitals are limiting the number of individuals who may be present at birth during this pandemic, virtual doula services are a way to provide support and guidance to families without jeopardizing health and safety.
In these uncertain times, families still need support, guidance and access to information and techniques that will reduce stress and lead to healthy birth and postpartum outcomes. This toolkit was created for doulas serving families in Georgia, though many of these resources can be used by doulas across the country.
If you are in need of a provider referral, Federally Qualified Health Center, or other community-based resource, please call the Georgia Family Healthline at 1-800-300-9003, Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
You can search these resources and providers 24/7 online here: https://www.resourcehouse.com/hmhb/
If you need assistance finding food, paying housing bills, accessing free childcare, or other essential services, please contact 211.
Right now there is a great deal of misinformation regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please note that the best source of information on this topic is directly from the CDC website.
Please do not take information shared on social media as fact. Check all of the information out for yourself through a verified source.