Posted In Support Groups, Classes and Events on October 31, 2023
On Sunday, Oct. 22, the SmartStart for Moms program held a kick-off event to share information and resources for healthcare for the local Haitian Creole population for prenatal and newborn care at Shekinah in Eden Church located at 635 Homer Street in Salisbury, Md. This event was sponsored by Supported by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission.
The event was a success with just under 20 pregnant women and their families. The participating grant community providers Ephphatha Medical Care, Wor-Wic Community College, Wicomico County Health Department, Haitian Development Center, and Chesapeake Health Care shared pertinent health and social services available. The Judy Center, WIC, Tidalhealth's Population Health team, and the YMCA also participated as community vendors to share their resources.
What is SmartStart for Moms?
TidalHealth, Ephphetha Medical, Chesapeake Health Care, Wor-Wic Community College and Haitian Development Center of Delmarva are community partners of the SmartStart for Moms program to address linguistic and cultural barriers to maternal health care, education, and support before, during and after delivering a baby. The program will build trust and relationships within the Haitian-Creole speaking communities of the Lower Eastern Shore. We want to create a workforce pipeline for certified medical interpreters to support linguistic needs during their prenatal visits, at the hospital, and at the local health department.
The specific goals of the project are to:
- SmartStart for Moms will provide community-based maternal health education in Haitian Creole.
- TidalHealth’s childbirth educator/navigator, who will be bilingual in Haitian-Creole, will provide education, coordination, and service navigation services.
- Mothers participating in SmartStart for Moms will improve their maternal health knowledge.
- Increase access to culturally and linguistically sensitive maternal health care for Haitian Creole-speaking women.
- Increase economic mobility opportunities for Haitian Creole-speaking residents by providing courses for certified medical interpreters.
