Nevada Health Centers, in collaboration with the High Risk Pregnancy Center and Hera Women’s Health, has announced a new initiative to improve maternal and prenatal care access for high-risk pregnancies in Pahrump, Nye County. The program is set to begin serving patients by late 2025.
The Medical Maternity Home Program will coordinate patient care and outreach using a range of healthcare professionals, including maternal-fetal medicine specialists, obstetrician-gynecologists, advanced practitioners, behavioral health providers, community health workers, Women, Infants, and Children services, as well as telehealth services. This approach aims to support pregnant women in Nye County who are affected by limited local maternity care options.
Walter Davis, CEO of Nevada Health Centers, expressed gratitude for the partnership with SilverSummit. He stated: “Right now, women who are expecting must travel long distances to get prenatal care. This can be expensive and time-consuming…by offering OB services locally…we keep people in their communities.”
Dr. Steven Evans from SilverSummit Healthplan highlighted the challenges faced by residents due to the lack of maternity care providers in Nye County: “This scarcity…results in pregnant women needing to travel long distances…which contributes to poor birth outcomes such as pre-term birth and low birth weight.”
Dr. Brian Iriye of Hera Women’s Health emphasized the program’s goal: “Our goal with the Medical Maternity Home Program is to bring together a multidisciplinary team of specialists to ensure every mother and baby in rural Nevada has access to the high-quality care they deserve.”
Nevada Health Centers plans to use its existing facilities in Pahrump for complex case management provided by registered nurses. The High Risk Pregnancy Center and Hera Women’s Health will offer various prenatal services like ultrasounds and genetic counseling.
Funding for this initiative includes $1 million over three years from the Centene Foundation and an additional $100,000 from SilverSummit Healthplan.
