New program provides low-income women with nutritional
information
In mid-January, staff at the Community Health Clinic in
Hollister, a clinic run through Hazel Hawkins Hospital, began an
informational program for pregnant women that are eligible for
Medi-Cal.
New program provides low-income women with nutritional information
In mid-January, staff at the Community Health Clinic in Hollister, a clinic run through Hazel Hawkins Hospital, began an informational program for pregnant women that are eligible for Medi-Cal.
The Comprehensive Prenatal Services Program (CPSP) stresses the importance of pre-natal care and proper nutrition, said Armida Bribiescas, the CPSP coordinator at the clinic.
The program is statewide, said Frankie Arballo, director of marketing and public relations for Hazel Hawkins Hospital.
The program is funded through Medi-Cal reimbursements.
The prenatal program has been shown to reduce the incidence of low birth weight in babies, she said.
“There’s a lot of women in the community who need this program,” Bribiescas said.
Although the program is not new to San Benito County, it is a critical component of the Community Health Clinic’s obstetrics program, Arballo said.
“We started our OB program in February 2005,” Arballo said.
Before that, pregnant women were referred to private practitioners, she said.
In the first two weeks, Bribiescas enrolled 21 women in the program, which offers one on one classes. Bribiescas expects to see 100 women per year, she said.
The classes include short videos about breastfeeding, baby care, nutrition and other topics, Bribiescas said. After a review of the main points of the video, women receive handouts about the video, she said.
Each session is between 30 and 60 minutes, Bribiescas said.
During their first session, women go through a number of assessments, she said. If there are any risks, such as hunger, staff will provide referrals to programs that can help, she said.
“We’re also going to do a hospital tour right before their due date,” Bribiescas said. “In the future, we do intend to do Lamaze classes.”
Staff provide incentives for women to attend sessions, she said.
Upon completion of the program, about 20 sessions, women receive a car seat, Bribiescas said. They will also receive small items for the baby after every 3 classes, she said.
“Even if they have kids, there’s a lot that they learn,” she said. “Women don’t know a lot coming in.”
On a tray next to her desk, Bribiescas had plastic models of single servings of a variety of foods.
Before she enrolled in the program, Jennifer Williams, 17, ate a lot of fast food, she said.
“Now, I can’t even get near it,” Williams said. “I actually eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.”
Although she is new to the program, Bribiescas has already helped her a lot, Williams said.
“Everything is just so new,” she said. “I just want to learn more about my pregnancy and make sure that I’m doing everything right.”
The program would benefit other women, Williams said.
“Especially young girls their first time being pregnant,” she said.
Bribiescas has worked with women through CPSP for 11 years, at various clinics, she said.
She said she enjoys being a resource for her clients.
“I feel very useful and helpful to a lot of women,” Bribiescas said. “A lot of women don’t have anyone to talk to.”
For her clients, applying for Medi-Cal is the most difficult part, Bribiescas said.
A lot of women are new to the country and do not know anything about the healthcare system, Bribiescas said. About 70 percent of the women in the program speak Spanish, she said.
Although the Medi-Cal application is available in Spanish, Bribiescas fills out the applications for her clients, she said.
It takes about two months for Medi-Cal to go through, Bribiescas said.
Staff help clients get a temporary Medi-Cal card, she said. The card is valid for two months and covers all medical appointments during that time, she said.
Staff from the Hazel Hawkins Foundation, a nonprofit run through the hospital, are applying for grants to help fund the program, Arballo said.
“There’s all kinds of grants out there for health programs,” Arballo said, “so we’re always looking for other sources of funding.
