LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – To address the maternal health crisis in Arkansas, Baptist Health has partnered with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Medical Services, to implement the state’s third and fourth Maternal Life360 HOME programs (Little Rock and North Little Rock). Currently serving Pulaski, Saline and Faulkner counties, the program plans to expand to other counties served by Baptist Health.
Baptist Health is the first in Arkansas to collaborate with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing to utilize the Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) home-visiting model. This evidence-based approach employs Certified Community Health Workers with lived experience to enhance maternal and child health by improving access to medical and social services, fostering positive parenting through education, advocacy and goal-setting.
The MIHOW program offers home visits, education and support for mothers, spouses/partners and children under three, extending from pregnancy through the child’s second birthday. Health education topics include healthy pregnancy, childbirth preparation, labor stages, postpartum care, newborn care, developmental milestones and childhood nutrition. Program services encompass referrals for food insecurity and utility assistance, help with public assistance applications, safe sleep education, lactation support and monthly in-person and virtual support groups with a perinatal mental health specialist.
Many program participants utilize Baptist Health Pregnancy Clinic-Little Rock, staffed by an OBGYN, two advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), a sonographer and a phlebotomist. This clinic welcomes all pregnant women regardless of their ability to pay, reflecting Baptist Health’s comprehensive approach to improving health outcomes for all women by addressing their overall well-being.
To be eligible for Life360 home-visiting services, the adult must:
- Be enrolled in ARHOME or Arkansas Medicaid and has a diagnosis of high-risk pregnancy (the Life360 assists women in getting assessed for that diagnosis);
- Not currently receiving state-or federally funded home-visiting services from a provider that covers pregnancy for the first two years of a baby’s life; and
- Live in the Life360 service area (Pulaski, Saline or Faulkner counties).
For Maternal Life360 HOME program enrollment or further information, please contact the Baptist Health home visiting team at (501) 202-4099 or mihow@baptist-health.org. Additional info is available at ar.gov/life360.
About Baptist Health
For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 250 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 100 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 11,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app.