Harnessing Data: Evaluating Clinical Care and Financial Feasibility of a Free Prenatal Clinic
In 2023, Arizona ranked 4th on the Maternity Vulnerability Index for states likely to have poor maternal health outcomes. To address healthcare barriers and access to care for the medically disenfranchised, the University of Arizona Mobile Health Program provides prenatal care to uninsured and underinsured patients at no cost. This learning session will review the continuity of care model implemented by the UA Mobile Health Program and the collaborations which make the free clinic possible. We will present quality metrics used to evaluate our prenatal services from 2019-2023, including an analysis of the C-section rates of our patients. Our findings show that our MHP patients deliver via C-section at a lower rate than the national target. We will discuss the importance of collaboration for collecting and analyzing data, including our support from and experience with the Mobile Health Innovation Collaborative for this analysis. Additionally, we will present on the financial sustainability of operating a free prenatal clinic and how collaborations with health systems, non-profits, and other agencies can support and benefit from the existence of this clinic. Using a Community Health Worker on staff, our clinic supports patients through insurance enrollment, if eligible. Through these linkages, most of our prenatal patients can receive emergency Medicaid coverage for inpatient care, including delivery. A financial analysis of Medicaid billing data shows that the revenue generated by emergency Medicaid reimbursements far exceeds the cost of operating the free prenatal clinic. Through collaborations and strategic partnerships, a high quality, free prenatal clinic is not only possible, but financially feasible. Learning Objectives: · Present a model for providing high-quality, financially sustainable prenatal care in the mobile health setting. · Discuss ways of measuring and evaluating prenatal care delivery outcomes with collaborative support. · Identify future areas of research in perinatal care for uninsured patients in the mobile health sector and areas to improve prenatal and birth outcomes.
Nicole Bratsch, BA, BS, Research Staff, University of Arizona; Alicia Dinsmore, MA, Program Coordinator, University of Arizona; Nicole Person-Rennell, MD MPH FAAFP, Medical Director, University of Arizona