Ascension Florida will expand its telehealth services for pregnant people after the award of a $7.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Health.
The program will be fully operational in early 2026, according to Ascension Florida chief clinical officer Dr. Syed Jafri.
The health care system, expects to hire people this fall who will provide pregnant people with information about how to access lactation support and nutrition counseling as well as car seat installation training and stress management.
Ascension Florida, which has four hospitals in Northeast Florida, has worked the past 16 years to lower Duval County鈥檚 infant mortality rate. Its Brighter Beginnings program has helped it鈥檚 the region鈥檚 health care providers understand there is a lack of access to prenatal care as well as a lack of complete understanding of the maternal health care system in pockets of Jacksonville.
鈥淭he navigation is what we鈥檙e really looking at, connecting mothers with the things that they need,鈥� Jafri says. 鈥淲hen we do that sort of work, the infants do better as well when they are born. So, it鈥檚 getting ahead of that and getting people on the phone with us, then into the clinics. 鈥� It鈥檚 resourcing them on the outside as well to ensure that it鈥檚 holistically delivered.鈥�
Duval's infant mortality problem
In 2023, 7.9 out of every 1,000 children born in Duval County died before their first birthday. That鈥檚 compared to 6 out of 1,000 Florida babies. The Duval figure declined over the past five years, from 9.5 out of every 1,000 live births in 2018, but it has remained stubbornly higher than the statewide rate for the past decade.
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Duval County also has a maternal mortality rate that is consistently higher than the statewide figure. However, maternal health is more than whether a birthing parent survives more than six weeks after their pregnancy ends.
鈥淩are is the case where there鈥檚 infant mortality and not maternal signs of distress,鈥� Jafri says. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e able to go more upstream and take care of the No. 1 person who has priority for child rearing, you鈥檙e going to see a reduction in infant mortality.
鈥淲e see across the board: where these gaps are closed and the mother does better beforehand, the mother does better afterward.鈥�
Ascension Florida has nine hospitals and nearly 200 health facilities. More than 10,000 babies are born each year across its Sunshine State operations.
鈥淭he Florida Department of Health is excited to team up with Ascension St. Vincent鈥檚 to help address maternal morbidity and improve birth outcomes in Florida,鈥� the state agency said in a statement. 鈥淭he program is designed to aid in providing telehealth services and care coordination to women statewide.鈥�
Providing women with proper education and support
Last month, the Harris Poll released its third . It surveyed more than 2,300 women across the country in an attempt to better understand maternal health and gaps in care for pregnant people.
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The 18-page report concluded that advocacy, support, education, autonomy and communication are critical to a positive pregnancy journey.
鈥淲ithout arming these women with proper education and support, we are setting them up for negative experiences and regret,鈥� the Harris Poll stated.
The survey found that 41% of women polled sustained challenges in accessing child care or an ability to take time off to attend appointments.
Jafri notes that maternal telehealth is part of the village of care for mothers. The state grant allows Ascension Florida to widen both.
