Maternity care coordinator's experiences at the department of Veteran Affairs. Transl Behav Med 2024 Nov 16;14(11):684-691
Date
10/15/2024Pubmed ID
39402842DOI
10.1093/tbm/ibae052Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85209685996 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides maternity care by paying for Veterans to receive pregnancy-related care in community settings and by utilizing maternity care coordinators (MCCs) at each medical facility. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand the MCC's experiences performing their role across VA facilities. Thirty MCCs were recruited and interviewed virtually using Microsoft Teams. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using thematic analysis, transcripts were coded, and themes were derived. MCC's roles include being a liaison, care coordinator, and supporter. MCCs improve Veterans' care during pregnancy and postpartum by education, monitoring health status, and connecting Veterans to providers within VA and the community. Across VA facilities, there was variation in how MCCs engaged with Veterans and in the services provided. A challenge shared was the lack of dedicated time to the role. In the VA, MCCs are valuable in ensuring high-quality care coordination of pregnant/postpartum Veterans despite the fragmentation of care between VA and community providers. To improve inconsistencies in how the MCC program is implemented, systematic strategies such as ensuring dedicated time are needed.
Author List
Ndakuya-Fitzgerald F, Farkas A, Lopez AA, Whittle J, Haeger KO, Mu QAuthors
Alexa Anderson PhD Associate Professor in the Nursing department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeAmy H. Farkas MD, MS Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Jeffrey Whittle MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultFemale
Humans
Maternal Health Services
Pregnancy
Qualitative Research
United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans
