One way Blue Cross acts on its mission of paving the way for everyone to achieve their healthiest live is by removing barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable care. This access is especially crucial for expecting mothers, as the care they receive throughout pregnancy can have long-term impacts on both the child’s health and their own.

In 2020, leaders from Blue Cross, Essentia Health, and the Essentia Health Foundation convened to discuss opportunities to increase the health of expecting mothers and their babies in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region, which encompasses both rural and urban areas and a diverse patient population.

With an aim of fostering true collaboration, Blue Cross provided Essentia with a $280,000 contribution to establish a program aimed at identifying the variety of challenges expecting parents face, meet them where they are at, and ensure they receive the health care they deserve. To date, the program has served more than 250 people with specific goals of:

• Reducing NICU admissions
• Reducing births at less than 37 weeks
• Reducing low birthweights
• Reducing c-sections due to pregnancy complications
• Increasing the percentage of mothers breastfeeding at discharge

Efforts are overseen by two nurse navigators, Kristy Gunderson and Jennifer Baumann. Together, these RNs act as dedicated points of contact for expecting parents in the program.

The nurses serve as advocates by creating focused care plans, providing education, recommending community resources and ensuring patients are able to see their doctor at times that are cognizant of their jobs, commutes and existing childcare schedules.

Kristy Gunderson and Jennifer Baumann, RNs at Essentia Health

The help doesn’t stop there. As noted by Rachel Edmunds, manager of family building programs at Blue Cross, “To ensure access to equitable, high-quality care, we must also consider factors outside of the doctor’s office that impact patients in very real ways.”

That is why the program also assists expecting parents experiencing financial hardships that impact health by providing items such as healthy groceries, fuel for travel to appointments, car seats, breast pumps, blood pressure cuffs and maternity clothes. So far, the program has made nearly 550 referrals to community partners and distributed more than $2,300 in gas and grocery cards.

“We have been privileged to build relationships with incredible and resilient patients while addressing their unique challenges,” said Gunderson. “Women experience various stressors that can make navigating their healthcare difficult, especially throughout pregnancy. Tailored and compassionate care coordination enables us to meet expecting parents where they are, supporting and empowering them to make meaningful changes for their overall wellbeing.”