Maternal, infant mortality is on the rise in Arizona. How this mobile clinic will help

A mobile health care clinic that will serve people during their pregnancy and after the birth of their children launched in metro Phoenix on Wednesday.

The Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center is the second clinic of its kind to serve Arizona newborns and their families.

The clinic aims to address what community health care providers considered a lack of resources for mothers and babies, citing Arizona's rise in infant and maternal deaths.

"Too many mothers lack access to their needed prenatal pregnancy and postnatal care. We see this across Arizona, especially in rural and minority communities," said Jennie Cunico, Arizona Department of Health Services director.

Mobile clinic created to fight Arizona's high infant mortality rate

Cunico said Arizona ranked 26th in the U.S. for infant mortality, representing an 11% increase, the state's largest in a decade.

The health care center would provide much-needed care for pregnant people and new mothers in Arizona, the clinic's creators said. A March of Dimes 2022 report card gave Phoenix a C-, indicating that moms and babies were at heightened risk in the city.

Shadi Tofigh, director of maternal and infant health for March of Dimes, said the organization's regular data indicated a need to reach mothers in the state.

"Maternal mortality and infant mortality is on the rise in Arizona, and unfortunately those statistics are higher than the national average," Tofigh said. "We've also identified that our moms in Arizona are not accessing timely prenatal health care."

Tofigh added that poor access to health care throughout a pregnancy can cause complications that lead to a higher risk of mortality for a young family.

Mobile clinic offering extensive services

Encased in a new vehicle wrap to identify the rolling clinic, the mobile clinic's interior facilities offer equipment to diagnose, examine and treat patients.

Drs. Wendy Redford and Mandy Boltz from Wesley Community and Health Centers said patients will receive the same level of care a mother and child could expect at a brick-and-mortar clinic.

Boltz, director of prenatal health at Wesley, said the mobile clinic offered essential access for women early in their pregnancy.

"We really hope to see earlier contact and bring them into healthy pregnancies," said Boltz.

One example Boltz provided was treatment of gestational diabetes, which is quite common. She added that under-served populations have higher rates of gestational diabetes and testing is available.

"If it's detected early, then mothers can take steps to help control it," Boltz said.

Redford said the mobile clinic can provide a variety of services, including fetal monitoring for higher-risk patients. The clinic also has the benefit of promptly delivering the services directly to a patient.

"As far as clinical training, we're really bringing extensive training," Redford added.

The mobile clinic is staffed by both Wesley Community and Health Centers and future medical professionals provided through a partnership with ASU's Edson College of Nursing and Innovation.

Where did the funding for the mobile clinic come from?

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona provided $800,000 of its community funds to make the mobile clinic a reality, according to CEO Jean Kalbacher.

UnitedHealth Community Plan of Arizona care provided $800,000 directly to the creation of the mobile clinic, with the money coming from Medicaid contracts with the state of Arizona that requires health care providers to set aside 6% of profits to invest back into the community, according to CEO Jean Kalbacher.

United Healthcare collaborated with March of Dimes, Wesley Community and Health Centers, and Arizona State University's Edson College of Nursing, all of which contribute different elements to make the traveling health clinic possible.

Kalbacher envisioned the clinic arriving at community centers, nurseries, schools and child care programs to be easily accessible to mothers throughout the community.

Carmen Heredia, executive deputy director for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems said "there is the gap in accessing services, interventions like this with a clinic that is mobile reaches out into communities and helps fill that gap."

How can you make an appointment with the Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center?

The mobile clinic was expected to be at events throughout the Phoenix area as soon as March 9, when it was slated to appear at the Healthy Mama Festival held at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix.

Community partners interested in the mobile clinic attending an event could also reach out through ASU's website.

Interested patients can also fill out a form online and representatives of the clinic will reach out.

According to March of Dimes, the mobile unit would provide care to mothers and their growing families regardless of insurance status.

"We believe that everyone in our local community should have access to health care and not be deterred," said Tofigh.