Our Priorities
The Maternal Health Network has identified five priority areas the Network will work to address over the next five years.
A number of consistently identified themes emerged from an analysis of all of the assets and gaps explored within the maternal health system serving San Bernardino County. These critical issues have been agreed upon by the Network as the most pressing problems that should be addressed through this plan. They include:
Equity
Social determinants of health are closely linked to maternal health outcomes. This is most evident amongst African American families who fare far worse in many maternal health outcomes, even in areas where the county as a whole is doing well.
Early Identification of Risk
Issues such as obesity, diabetes, and alcohol and other drug use can create a high risk pregnancy. That said, families do not always seek or receive preventive supports to meet their physical and behavioral health needs before, in between, during, and directly following pregnancy.
Access to Community Resources
There is a general lack of knowledge about resources available amongst providers and consumers. Additionally, there are not enough services in place or systems to assist with connections to care.
Data Sufficiency
Data deficiencies prevent the system from understanding the full range of issues facing families, with a specific gap in information around priority populations. Additionally, the data currently available is outdated and may not reflect the current status of families within the system.
Provider Capacity
There are not enough providers to meet the growing needs of families within the maternal health system. Additionally, existing providers don’t always have the training, supports or resources to implement services within a customized and culturally competent framework.