Maternal Health

How Cradle Cincinnati helps birthing parents address stress for better outcomes
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How Cradle Cincinnati helps birthing parents address stress for better outcomes

“Social determinants of health are stressors that relate to physical health.” So says Dr. Meredith Shockley-Smith, Executive Director of Cradle Cincinnati, Field Service Assistant Professor at UC Medical Center, and Founder of Queens Village. “And chronic, prolonged stress just magnifies [health] problems.”  Consistent access to nutritious food, affordable and suitable housing, and transportation are just…

“First, you have to get there”: Access to care and transportation obstacles 
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“First, you have to get there”: Access to care and transportation obstacles 

Getting to appointments can be the hardest part of staying current with medical care for Kia Davis’ clients. Davis is a Community Health Worker (CHW), who cares for pregnant mothers and children through Mercy Health. Mercy Health is a partner agency of the Southwest Ohio Pathways Community HUB, which Health Care Access Now directs. Davis…

How Community Health Workers help clients establish medical homes
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How Community Health Workers help clients establish medical homes

Health Care Access Now (HCAN)’s clients often face obstacles—like lack of childcare or transportation—that keep them from seeing doctors regularly. In other words, they don’t have a medical home.  Lynniece Scurry, Community Health Worker (CHW) for HCAN, says it’s important to help her clients find a primary care physician that can act as a medical home because…

Medical home good for everyone: preventative care is better than emergency care
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Medical home good for everyone: preventative care is better than emergency care

When a person has a “medical home,” it means they have relationships with providers for all their health needs. They can see those providers for regular tests and preventative care, as well as when they’re experiencing health issues.  Having a medical home isn’t just about establishing primary care, but also dental and vision care, OB-GYN…

What is a medical home and why does it matter?
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What is a medical home and why does it matter?

A medical home is “when a patient sees a regular doctor, and the physician’s office has full knowledge of the client’s medical history,” says LaVerne Wiley.  As a Registered Nurse, Wiley was instrumental in the development of the Community Health Worker (CHW) education and certification program at Health Care Access Now (HCAN). Although she retired…

What HCAN Does with your donations
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What HCAN Does with your donations

Everyone deserves to live a healthy life. And there’s more to health than just exercising, eating right, and making good choices. It’s about having regular access to a doctor, being able to afford medications for chronic diseases, and overcoming barriers that can prevent people from having good health outcomes. Health Care Access Now (HCAN) trains…

Tessa Johnson: Building relationships to make a difference
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Tessa Johnson: Building relationships to make a difference

During the first year Tessa Johnson worked as a paraprofessional for the Cincinnati Public School system, she felt overwhelmed. She knew the children she helped needed more than just school support. Understanding she couldn’t reach everyone was a tough pill to swallow.  But she persevered, and now she gets messages from former students thanking her…

Dominique Johnson: Relating to clients and making a difference
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Dominique Johnson: Relating to clients and making a difference

Dominique Johnson spent 12 years working as a nurse before she trained as a Community Health Worker for Health Care Access Now.  “When you’re a nurse, you’re more hands-on [during health issues], but as a Community Health Worker, you can see the problems on the back end,” she says. That allows her to remedy the…

Kimberley Stephens: Lowering the mortality rate, raising spirits
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Kimberley Stephens: Lowering the mortality rate, raising spirits

Kimberley Stephens likes to plant seeds in the community. “Sometimes you see the flower bloom, but sometimes you just know that the seeds have been planted and have the potential to grow,” she says.  Stephens is the Manager of Prenatal Outreach for Mercy Health. “We’re in the communities working with women during the prenatal stage…

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PRESS RELEASE: Health Care Access Now announces new Hub partnership with Mercy Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Healthcare Access Now is excited to announce that Mercy Health is a new partner in the HCAN Pathways Community Hub (Hub). HCAN is the Hub for the Cincinnati region. Agencies can partner with HCAN to implement the Hub model.  The Hub model breaks down typical barriers to good health outcomes by identifying…