Life
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Douglas Tesner
Healthy Futures marks 10 years
TRAVERSE CITY -- Like all new mothers, Abby Leppien had loads of questions.
The Traverse City area mother of baby Lucy turned to Healthy Futures for some of those answers. The local program provides support and education for women during pregnancy and for two years after the child's birth.
"She really made me feel like I could ask any question," said Leppien, of the nurse who visited her home.
This year, Healthy Futures marks its 10th year in the community. The program is offered at no cost to area pregnant women and new mothers and concentrates on health care access, immunization and breast-feeding. Its partners include regional health departments, Munson Healthcare and health providers.
A key feature of Healthy Futures is a home visit from a public health nurse soon after an infant is brought home from the hospital.
"In the beginning we did a lot more phone work and what we realized is that people ... most appreciated the in-home connection," said coordinator Betsy Hardy.
Program participants are called within a few days of the mother's hospital discharge. A nurse will offer an in-home visit, the goal of which is to answer questions, provide support, connect the family with available resources and "promote breast-feeding," Hardy said. Early assistance can help mothers overcome nursing problems, she said.
"One day can make a big difference," she said.
A nurse may make additional visits to assist the mother and field questions during phone calls.
Local mother Allison Quatrini was "blown away" when she learned that she would get a free home visit through the program.
"Being a first-time mom there were so many questions that came up that no books could help you out with," Quatrini said. "They have been the most amazing help I've had to date."
She received a home visit two weeks after her daughter, now eight months old, was born. Her daughter hadn't gained weight. The nurse reassured Quatrini, offered suggestions about breast-feeding and then celebrated alongside the new mom as the baby gained weight.
Leppien, too, credits the Healthy Futures nurse who advised her and connected her with a mothers' support group. Through the program, Leppien also met another woman who lives nearby and whose baby is about the same age as hers. Now, the two mothers talk on the phone and encourage each other.
"I would sign up my friends. I would fill out their forms for them. Honestly, I don't know if I would have made it through breast-feeding without the support," Leppien said.
A 1995 community health assessment determined that young families had challenges to accessing health care. That led to the creation of Healthy Futures, Hardy said. Moms-to-be often find out about the program when they go to the health department for a service, through a physician during pre-natal appointments or at the hospital. The program mails out educational newsletters to participants that pertain to the mother's stage of pregnancy of the child's specific age.
Almost 14,000 children have been enrolled in support services since the program's start. About 50 percent of children born at Munson are enrolled in the program, Hardy said.
"(The) bulk of the work goes on right around the time of late pregnancy and birth because it's crucial that families have access to care at those times," she said.
First-time mothers especially benefit from the program, said Dr. Michael Collins of the Grand Traverse County Health Department. The department remains "as enthusiastic" about the program as when it started and is proud of its accomplishments in the last decade, he said.
Donations from Century 21 Northland allows the program to pay for some urgent family needs when there isn't another funding source. The department store effort Kohl's Cares for Kids is also a big program sponsor. To learn more about Healthy Futures, visit the Web site www.healthyfuturesonline.org.
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