PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Public Health Department (CCPHD) is transitioning from providing traditional maternal care services at its Siler City clinic, shifting to community-based services which complement local prenatal care providers.
This shift allows the agency the flexibility and capacity to initiate and expand several services which have a specific focus on improving equitable birth outcomes.
At its May 23 meeting, the Chatham County Board of Health approved the transition plan. Before moving forward with this transition, the CCPHD reached out to local providers to assure that maternal care services will remain accessible to the Chatham community. The CCPHD will have a formal agreement with Piedmont Health Services, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) with clinics in Siler City and Moncure, to assure individuals needing these services, including those who are uninsured, can access them.
“We are grateful to Piedmont Health Services for their partnership as a leading provider of primary care services for the Chatham community,” said Chatham County Public Health Director Mike Zelek. “This transition allows us to focus on needed community-based services, like newborn home visits, as well as core public health services.”
The CCPHD will continue to offer services for mothers and babies in Chatham County to meet community needs. The CCPHD clinic will continue to offer family planning services, including pregnancy tests, referrals for services, and contraception, as well as immunizations, nutrition counseling, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP), and sexually transmitted infection prevention and treatment.
The department has already restarted its Newborn-Postpartum Home Visiting program, where a CCPHD nurse will conduct a home visit with a new mother and baby to ensure they are in good health. The department is also in the process of developing Maternal Care Skilled Nurse Home Visit and Childbirth Education Services programs. Finally, the department will maintain a list of maternal care providers in the community for anyone who contacts the CCPHD looking for services and work to link them to care.
This decision is part of the CCPHD’s years-long shift in focus toward community-based services as the availability of local primary care services has increased through other health care providers. Piedmont’s Siler City clinic is located next door to the CCPHD clinic and works in close partnership with the new Maternity Care Center at Chatham Hospital.
“We are fortunate to have robust prenatal care services offered through multiple community partners in Chatham County,” said Dr. Michaela McCuddy, medical director at the CCPHD. “One of these partners, Piedmont Health Services, is located right next door to our health department. The PHS clinic is home to a growing residency program with numerous providers that offer prenatal care, including providers trained in high-risk obstetrics. These strong partnerships have allowed us to transition into a community-based role where we can fill large gaps in our health care system, including offering home-based clinical services.”
Acceptance of new clients for maternal care at the CCPHD clinic was paused in April 2021 due to staff transition and the demands of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign — therefore, no clients are losing access to care due to this transition.
To learn more about the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit their website or Facebook. To learn more about Piedmont Health Services’ Siler City clinic, visit piedmonthealth.org/siler-city-location.