Strengthening maternal care

Sixty-seven percent of pregnant women in Kent County and nearly half of pregnant women in Sussex County who experienced a stillbirth or infant death have late or no access to prenatal care, according to the Maternal and Child Death Review Commission (MCDRC).

Amanda Watson, director of the nurse-midwife program and assistant professor of nursing at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences, saw the provider shortage and lack of access to care firsthand as a certified nurse-midwife and former clinical operations director for women's health at La Red Health Center in Georgetown. Sussex County has three birthing hospitals, but none are equipped with a NICU, which creates significant challenges.

"None can deliver a baby under 36 weeks of gestational age, so everyone below 36 weeks must be transferred to Kent or New Castle counties for care if they're presenting in labor and are stable enough for transport," Watson said. "Otherwise, the baby will be delivered prematurely and transported if they're not stable, separating mom and baby."

Dr. Garrett Colmorgen, director of obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine at Bayhealth, said the state has made limited progress in addressing those issues.

"We've not moved the needle enough," Colmorgen said.

In response to those gaps, UD's School of Nursing (SON) will launch the state's first nurse-midwife master's program and post-graduate certificate this fall, supported by a $1 million state investment.

"The program is in direct response to workforce needs and healthcare shortages in the state and aligns with our mission in the School of Nursing to promote nurses at the earliest levels to the advanced practice level," said Elizabeth Speakman, chief nurse administrator and senior associate dean of SON.

She added that current nursing students wanted to see a program like this.

"We've had undergraduate students tell us they want to continue their experience as a Blue Hen through a nurse-midwife program, so we expect this program to be quite popular, especially with our direct admission pathway," Speakman said.

The full-time, two-year program, led by Watson, will launch this fall with an eight-student cohort that will complete clinical rotations at Christiana, Bayhealth and Beebe hospitals, as well as The Birth Center in Newark.

"We will prioritize students living and working in Delaware to make a quicker impact on the workforce shortage," Watson said.