Mobile health center offering prenatal care to underserved communities in Phoenix
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — According to the latest data from March of Dimes, Arizona has a higher percentage of women who receive inadequate prenatal care than the national average.
It’s a statistic the non-profit is trying to change after partnering with ASU’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and Wesley Community and Health Centers.
With funding from the United Healthcare Community Plan of Arizona, the new Mom and Baby Mobile Health Center has been up and running for a couple of weeks in Phoenix.
“We started seeing patients in the middle of May, so it’s fairly new,” said Laura Maurer, a family nurse practitioner and a clinical assistant professor at ASU.
Although they can help patients with different medical needs, they are focusing on prenatal care for women in underserved areas.
“Maternity care is a huge need. One of the biggest barriers is access to care, whether that’d be transportation, financial, (or) lack of insurance,” said Maurer.
The clinic helps people with or without insurance.
It’s also a learning opportunity for ASU nursing student Wilfredo Rodriguez.
“You do learn your basics in the classroom, but seeing patients, hearing patients and talking to them, that’s where the good experience comes from” said Rodriguez.
He is the only ASU student helping the mobile clinic for now, but there are plans to have more students jump in later on.
Rodriguez said he’s learning more than just lookin at a patient’s symptoms.
“Just to be able to listen to their stories and learn what they do for work and their families, that’s when you put all the puzzle pieces together and you get a good history and a good diagnosis-hopefully,” said Rodriguez.
The mobile health clinic is at three locations each week from 9am to 1pm.
On Tuesdays, the mobile clinic is at the Coffelt Lamoreux Apartment Homes on 1510 S. 19th Dr. Then on Wednesdays, the clinic is parked outside the Watts Family Maryvale YMCA on 3825 N. 67th Ave. The third location is on Thursdays. at the parking lot of Hushabye Nursery on 3003 E. McDowell Rd.
March of Dimes plans to bring in a third mobile health clinic to Arizona next year to help in rural communities. There are also hopes to include social work students.
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