Regional One Health’s Maternal One Model (MOM) Program helps eligible patients get the medical care and support services they need to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.
For Aaliyah Jones, it was a chance to gain self confidence and enjoy motherhood.
Aaliyah said her MOM team was there for her with baby supplies, education, and support – everything she needed to help her daughter thrive.
When Aaliyah Jones was in a car accident at six months pregnant, her first thought was to be grateful that her baby wasn’t hurt.
She was also grateful for a silver lining that came out of the scary experience.
After the accident brought her to Regional One Health for medical care, she was connected to social worker LaVera McCaskill and the Maternal One Model (MOM) Program, which helps eligible patients access health care providers and support resources.
“Miss LaVera told me they have a program that helps moms and asked me if I might need it,” Aaliyah said. “It’s a great program! It makes moms feel like they aren’t alone, and it also helped me with my self-esteem.”
The MOM Program serves patients who are seen at Regional One Health’s Obstetric Emergency Department and meet evidence-based criteria, such as not having insurance, low income, teen pregnancy, and social determinants of health like inadequate housing, food or transportation.
The MOM Program serves patients who are seen at Regional One Health’s Obstetric Emergency Department and meet evidence-based criteria, such as not having insurance, low income, teen pregnancy, and social determinants of health like inadequate housing, food or transportation.
For patients, the program starts with a comprehensive assessment of their medical, behavioral and social concerns. Then, the team designs a care plan tailored to their unique needs and goals.
Participants are connected to prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care at Regional One Health and social services provided by community partners, such as childbirth education, mental health screening, WIC assistance, and resources for food, transportation, and housing.
Patients work with a CARE team that includes a Provider Champion, Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse Educator, Social Worker and OB Navigator. The team provides one-on-one support and regularly reviews the plan of care to address new concerns.
The team stays by each patient’s side for up to a year to make sure moms have the support they need and newborns receive proper pediatric care.
For Aaliyah, it was a blessing.
She gave birth to daughter Wynter early and had a very difficult delivery. LeVera immediately offered support not only for Aaliyah, but for her husband and their three older children.
“After I had my baby, Miss LaVera was right there. When you see her, you just want to be happy!’ Aaliyah said. “She came into the room and just brightened me up and made me feel so much better after everything I’d been through.”
LaVera helped the family get a car seat, baby clothes, a bed for Wynter, and more.
Aaliyah said the MOM team helped her gain confidence and enjoy motherhood. “It’s a great program! It makes moms feel like they aren’t alone, and it also helped me with my self-esteem.”
Housing was a big issue: “At first, we were staying with my family in a two-bedroom, and I was really at a low point,” Aaliyah said. “She helped us get into our own apartment.”
As Wynter grew and the family’s needs evolved, LaVera’s support did too.
She helped with transportation to make sure Aaliyah and Wynter could get to all of their well-child appointments and provided “baby proofing” supplies to make sure the family’s home was save for Wynter and her older siblings.
LaVera is also a trusted source of advice. “Wynter is teething right now, and when I told Miss LaVera, she gave me a lot of good ideas to help her with the pain, like putting the teething toy in the freezer before I give it to her,” Aaliyah said.
With the MOM team’s support, Aaliyah and her husband are embracing the chaos and joy of life as a family of six. The kids love playing outside, visiting the zoo, face-painting and cotton candy.
Aaliyah is grateful to the MOM Program for giving her a chance to truly enjoy motherhood with the knowledge that she has the resources she needs to keep her family healthy.
“After my accident, I had lost a lot of faith,” she said. “Miss LaVera helped me get stable to where I am now. I love this program, and Miss LaVera is like a mom to me! I can call her and she helps me get what I need for Wynter, and she gives me those words of encouragement and makes me happy to be here.”