HEALTHY START
Healthy Start is a federally funded program designed to reduce infant mortality in Tulsa County. Healthy Start provides
Case Management services to high-risk pregnant teens and their infants under the age of two years. MHP employs two Health Start Case Managers. One Case Manager provides services at O.S.U. Houston Park Clinic and the other provides services to O.U. Family Clinic. Healthy Start Case Management services are also provided to Margaret Hudson students as needed.
Healthy Start Case Managers provide a number of services to their clients. Services include, but are not limited to:
- Assisting with doctor appointments
- Healthy pregnancy education
- Referrals to community agencies for assistance
- Scheduling well baby check-up’s after delivery
- Information on Family planning
- Assisting with transportation to and from appointments
- Post partum depression screenings
- Developmental assessments from age 6-months to age 2-years of age
Clients are seen a minimum of two times a month during pregnancy and a minimum of once a month after delivery.
We also have Outreach Workers on the team. Following delivery, the case manager may transfer your care to an outreach worker who will continue to provide you with Healthy Start services. They will generally talk with you after your delivery, either over the phone or during a home visit. They will help connect you to transportation services, if needed, and help you with referrals for food, utilities, housing, and baby supplies. They will also provide you with educational information on baby's development until your baby's second birthday. They will encourage and remind you to keep your baby's appointments and get shots after delivery. They also will help you continue to receive birth control until you are ready for another baby.
There is a health educator that will contact you if your case manager makes the referral. They provide education on a one-on-one basis on how to have a healthy pregnancy. They meet with you individually to discuss areas of concern to you and your family. Some of the topics that are covered include:
- Eating healthy during pregnancy
- How your body changes during pregnancy
- How to quit smoking for a healthy baby
- Birth control methods
- Parenting information
- Your baby's development
- How to include Dad
- And much more!
Your job is to:
- Call or Talk to your case manager at least monthly to let them know how you are doing and how your medical appointments are going
- Let the case manager know if you move and/or your phone number changes so that they may contact you
- Contact the medical clinic if you have concerns about physical symptoms
- Ask for information or help when needed
- TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!