EMBRACE Prenatal Care Study
HOW WE GOT HERE
The EMBRACE prenatal care study is the result of years of effort by community members and agencies.
Collaborative work is ongoing as the community continues to look for solutions to preterm birth and health disparities. EMBRACE is actively engaging with community partners to ensure the study keeps patient-centered experiences a priority.
In response to a large increase in African American infant mortality, First 5 Fresno County commissioned a needs assessment conducted by the Central Valley Health Policy Institute.
The outcome of this effort was
three recommendations:
The Blue Ribbon Equity Panel is a multi-sector group that continues to work towards addressing African American infant mortality.
The Glow! Group Prenatal Care and Support Model was developed and tested during a Feasibility Study.
Develop population-level initiatives
The Fresno County Preterm Birth Initiative Collective Impact work brought together a diverse group of stakeholders aimed at reducing disparities and improving outcomes.
Based in San Francisco, the Preterm Birth Initiative is aiming to eliminate racial disparities in preterm birth and improve health outcomes for premature infants.
The California Preterm Birth Initiative at UC San Francisco funded the Glow! Feasibility Study, Fresno County Preterm Birth Initiative, and continues to invest in the Fresno County with Best Baby Zone.
GLOW! FEASIBILITY STUDY
The Glow! Feasibility Study was the process of designing, refining, and piloting the group prenatal care model that would ultimately become one of the comparators for EMBRACE.
Glow! Group Prenatal Care and Support was designed to support women during pregnancy with social support, mental health resources, improved patient-provider relationships, and other wrap-around services that address some social determinants of health.