Mobile Postpartum Care Unit (MPCU)
The Mass General Brigham and the Kraft Center for Community Health are bringing medical care, mental health support, and social support coordination to new moms and moms-to-be with their recently launched Mobile Postpartum Care Unit (MPCU) program. The MPCU program is designed for patients who are at higher risk for poor health outcomes and who live near Massachusetts General Hospital or Brigham and Women’s Hospital and have given birth (or are planning to give birth) at one of these two hospitals.
Patients enrolled in this pilot will work with a dedicated postpartum care team including a certified nurse midwife, a community health worker, a licensed independent clinical social worker, and a physician specializing in maternal health. Care will be brought to the directly to the patient’s home through a community care van and online telehealth services.
Learn more about the unique program here.
Link to story: Mass General Brigham pilot program delivers care to new mothers right at home | GBH (wgbh.org)
Addressing Inequities in Healthcare:
Across the United States, significant health disparities persist for Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Latinx birthing people and their babies. These disparities, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect deeply rooted systemic issues that limit access to timely, adequate care.
Did you know?
•Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native women face a 2-3 times higher risk for maternal mortality compared to white women (KFF, 2020; CDC, 2023).
•Black women are twice as likely to receive late or no prenatal care compared to white women (KFF, 2020).
•The maternal mortality rate for Latinx mothers increased by 44% in 2019 (CDC, 2020).
•Despite Massachusetts being known for its healthcare system, maternal mortality rates have increased by 136% over the last two decades (JAMA, 2023).
What Is Maternal Mortality?
Maternal mortality refers to a death during childbirth or within one year postpartum. It is a critical marker of health inequity, especially among marginalized communities.
Why Mobile Care?
The Mobile Postpartum Care Unit seeks to dismantle barriers by bringing care to individuals at a time and location that works for them. Our services are designed to ensure all participants receive personalized care that aligns with their unique needs.
Our mobile care services include:
•Comprehensive clinical care: Routine physical health check-ups and postpartum recovery support.
•Mental health services: Support for postpartum depression, anxiety, and emotional wellness.
•Infant feeding support: Guidance and assistance for various methods of infant feeding, including lactation.
•Resource navigation: Connection to local services for social and financial support, for things like housing, food security, childcare, and more.
Through our mobile care model, we aim to eliminate barriers to care and ensure that all postpartum individuals, especially those who are most at risk for adverse health outcomes, have access to essential services. By offering services in locations and at times that work for our patients, our mobile unit provides convenient, compassionate, and culturally concordant care, tailored to meet the needs of diverse communities.
Our Guiding Principles:
Our work is grounded in principles of reproductive justice and is informed by the voices of:
•Patients and community members,
•Healthcare providers including midwives, physicians, and mental health professionals,
•Community partner organizations, and
•Research and data-driven insights.
According to SisterSong, reproductive justice is:
“…the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”
Learn More About DREAMH and MPCU
The Mobile Postpartum Care Unit is a vital part of the broader DREAMH Initiative, which strives to create long-term solutions for maternal health equity.
If you are an MGB staff person please refer your patients through Epic. If you are a patient or external care team member (patient’s doula, etc), please submit a referral via RedCap.
To learn more about the DREAMH Initiative and the Mobile Postpartum Care Unit, please reach out to us at:
•Email: MPCU@mgb.org
•Kraft Center for Community Health: kraftcommunityhealth.org
•Facebook: The Kraft Center for Community Health
Thank you to the CVS Foundation for their generous funding of this project.