Prenatal & Postnatal
History:
Prenatal Care Guidance (PCG) Program was implemented in Los Angeles County in 1985
with State MCH funds to identify high-risk pregnant women and assure their access to
appropriate prenatal care. PCH staff partnered with Comprehensive Perinatal Outreach
Program (CPOP) staff from 1993-1995 to provide outreach and home visitation services.
Proposition 10 funding now allows hiring of 7 more PHNs, one PHN supervisor, and two
clerks for PCG expansion in Los Angeles County.
Health Problems:
- High-risk pregnant women have more barriers to early and continuous prenatal, neonatal, and post-partum (eg. breastfeeding) care than the rest of the population.
- High-risk pregnant women have more barriers to tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drug use prevention services than the rest of the population.
Goal:
To enhance the health of Los Angeles County infants and their mothers.
Objectives:
- Increase care coordination and follow-up to assure timely access to care for high-risk pregnant women.
- Assist at-risk pregnant women with referrals to Medi-Cal, WIC, prenatal care providers, and other nurse home visitation programs.
- Enhance access to other community resources appropriate for at-risk pregnant women.
- Increase birth weight of infants born to at-risk mothers to at least 2500 grams.
- Enhance case management services for high-risk women and their infants through one year of age.
- Collaborate with Family Nurse Program to develop effective referral system for case management services.
Activities/Services:
- Provide direct patient services in homes and Juvenile Hall facilities
- Conduct initial assessment to determine eligibility for case management services
- Conduct regularly scheduled home visits to assesss client status and coordinate care needs of high-risk pregnant women - including medical, nutritional, and psychosocial - through health care providers and other community-based organizations.
- Provide health education regarding prenatal care, parenting skills, nutrition, breastfeeding issues, tobacco and alcohol reduction and/or cessation, prevention of pre-term delivery (PTD), labor and delivery issues, infant development, etc.
- Coordinate client referrals to other nurse home visitation (NHV) programs identify at-risk pregnant women, teens; provide care coordination and follow-up
- Assure timely access to prenatal care
- Provide case management to high-risk pregnant women and infants up to 1 year of age
- Conduct initial assessment for incarcerated pregnant teens in Juvenile Halls
- Provide, through the PCG Central Office and its toll-free health phone line, a clearing house for referrals from community agencies and perinatal providers.
Eligibility/Target Population:
Medi-Cal eligible high-risk pregnant women and their infants
Public Health Nurse Perinatal Home Visitation Education Program
Confidenital Referral Form For first time and high risk pregnant mothers:
Microsoft Word:
Confidential Referral Form
Confidential Referral Form Instruction
Adobe Acrobat
Confidential Referral Form
Confidential Referral Form Instruction
Program Factsheet
For more information or to make referral by phone, please call (213) 639-6433 or
(213) 639-6434.
