Katie Klingspohn, Wyofile
Wyoming's Department of Maternal and Child Health is seeking input from families as it sets priorities on issues such as postpartum care, safe infant sleep and adolescent mental health.
Wyoming faces severe maternal health disparities, including some counties with no obstetricians or birthing facilities, forcing more women and families to travel long distances to receive obstetric care or give birth.
The state health department is currently inviting residents to participate in focus groups and surveys that can highlight maternal and child health needs. These priorities will help develop the maternal and child health unit's action plan for 2026-2030.
“We want to ensure that our priorities going forward include the voices of communities and families,” Maternal and Child Health Unit Manager Feliciana Turner said in a statement.
Why is this important?
The department works with communities and families to improve their health and well-being, focusing on initiatives such as reducing smoking during pregnancy, increasing women's attendance at health screenings, and improving children's physical fitness. The department works closely with the state's Maternal Mortality Review Board and the Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
This action plan will help direct the force's priorities through the second half of the decade.
There is growing awareness of disparities in maternal and child care in Wyoming: According to the Wyoming Department of Health, 11 of the state's 23 counties have no obstetrician-gynecologists, and three birthing facilities have closed since 2018. Wyoming has just 16 practicing midwives licensed by the state Board of Midwives.
The 2024 Women's Health and Reproductive Health State Scorecard, which evaluates each state's health care system based on criteria such as maternal mortality, prevention and access to health care providers, ranked Wyoming 42nd — lower than all of its neighboring states.
This map from the 2024 Women's Health and Reproductive Health State Scorecard shows the overall scores by state. (Scorecard/Commonwealth Fund)
The Joint Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services is currently studying the various factors that contribute to the shortage of maternity care providers and ways to increase access, and a subcommittee of Gov. Mark Gordon's health task force has also been meeting on the topic for several months.
participate
Interested residents can register to participate in the focus group or fill out the survey provided here. The focus groups will begin in late August and space is limited. Survey responses will be recorded through September 15th. Most of the survey is targeted to parents in homes with children under the age of 17.
“We particularly want to hear from parents and carers, women who have recently given birth, parents of children with special healthcare needs and young people whose parents agree to participate,” Turner said.
Turner said through the initial assessment and planning stages, several potential priorities emerged, including improving care for children with special medical needs, improving maternal health through postnatal visits and promoting child health.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent, nonprofit news organization focused on people, places and policies in Wyoming.
