“It takes a village to raise a child,” they say. That’s why the Utah Department of Health and Human Services is sharing the Maternal Resource Guide with rural healthcare providers.
“While healthcare can be hard to afford, those in rural areas have the additional burden of traveling to appointments when care isn’t available in the community,” said Danielle Pendergrass, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Eastern Utah Women’s Health. “This makes it important to make sure that providers are helping families connect to needed resources.”
“As someone who grew up rural, I know that rural people are tough, and they don’t want to ask for help,” said Kasey Shakespear, Executive Director, Rural Health Association of Utah. “I’m asking healthcare providers to become aware of resources like the Maternal Resource Guide and encourage patients to utilize these resources.”
The Maternal Resource Guide links moms and families to important resources like
- Food formula and diapers;
- Healthcare;
- Mental health and substance use;
- Midwife and doula services;
- Housing;
- Transportation;
- Childcare and parenting resources;
- Employment and financial assistance;
- Legal assistance; and
- Intimate partner violence.
Providers, paraprofessionals, and patients can click on each of these categories and then select the area of the state where they live. The resource is also available in Spanish.