COMPLETE CARE: North Carolina health care providers are improving the lives of women and children by addressing ailments and issues that will affect them later.

• Author: Saylor, Teri
• Position: HEALTH CARE: WOMEN & CHILDREN

Catawba Valley Medical Center In Hickory cares for patients from five surrounding counties. "As the region's largest not-for-profit community hospital, our mission is to improve the overall health of our communities," says Michelle Lusk, vice president and chief nursing officer. "We have built strong relationships with the people, businesses and communities In our region."

Lusk says about 2,000 babies are born each year at CVMC, and it handles about 130 neonatal transports and 400 patients in its newborn intensive care unit. Their moms need care, too --before, during and after they give birth. "Rising rates of hypertension, hemorrhage and blood clots are the primary reasons mothers die during pregnancy, delivery or postpartum," she says. "Other factors include the lack of education, money and resources to make healthy lifestyle decisions." The National Center for Health Statistics reported North Carolina's infant mortality rate was 6.8 per 1,000 live births in 2019, compared to 5.6 for the United States. In 2018, North Carolina's maternal mortality rate was 10.9 per 100,000 live births, compared to 17.4 for the United States.

Health disparities and infant and maternal mortality issues are front and center in today's health care landscape. In response, health care systems are adding services for women and children, because when individuals thrive so do their communities. "We know healthy women are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, give birth to healthy babies and grow up to be part of healthier families and communities," says Kelly Kimple, chief of the Women's and Children's Health Section at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. "Our work is to promote healthy and thriving children in stable, nurturing families, schools and communities, and to support the whole child and family health."

The COVID-19 pandemic complicated all health initiatives. It caused serious illnesses, deaths and long-term effects. The simple fear of contracting the disease, for example, kept people from seeking care for Illness not related to COVID, scheduling wellness exams and finding mental health support. "During COVID, we saw a decrease in routine well-child check-ups and prenatal visits," Kimple says. "The pandemic's economic impact has negatively affected health, stress levels, mental illness and substance abuse disorders, and we're seeing the rates of suicide increasing, particularly among our youth."

Many of those issues are being addressed...