New healthcare center fills a gap in underserved Broward County areas

From the outside, Broward County’s new healthcare center in the middle of a strip mall may look like an ordinary medical office. Inside, it could be a game changer for pregnant women.

The Lauderdale Lakes center at t 3736 W Oakland Park Blvd. combines medical exam rooms staffed by Broward HealthPoint and community spaces operated by Community Care Plan. It will be fully open by the end of the month and offer a mix of services previously unavailable in the surrounding underserved communities.

Researchers discovered new mothers in Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Sunrise and Oakland Park (ZIP codes 33311 and 33313) had a high rate of premature births and linked those results to a limited number of physicians serving the pregnant population. The Maternity Care Center & Heart Community Resource Center plans to fill the gap.

“We will provide more options for mothers and different ways to get prenatal care,” said Dr. Katia Brown-Burgess, an obstetrician with Broward Health who will do obstetric exams at the new center. For example, the center will offer telehealth appointments, group prenatal care called Centering, doulas, and traditional exams with obstetricians, gynecologists and nurse practitioners.

For women who already have children, the center has a supervised playroom for child care during medical appointments. Brown-Burgess said this fills a community need, assuring that child care doesn’t become an obstacle to prenatal care.

In the community spaces, women can take nutrition, breastfeeding, or pregnancy exercise classes, or simply use public computers for research.

“We have a lot to offer,” Brown-Burgess said. ” I think it’s going to change the face of maternal care.”

Brown-Burgess, who grew up in the neighborhood that the center will serve, said women of color often have misconceptions about pregnancy or need more information.

“The center gives pregnant women the space to express themselves and not be judged,” she said. “They can say to their doctor, ‘I need help,’ and we have the resources to make that happen.”

Community Care Plan, a Medicaid insurance provider owned by the two Broward County public healthcare systems, had been looking for a way to improve the outcomes in those ZIP codes.

“We originally leased the space to be a community resource center,” said Jessica Lerner, President and Chief Executive Officer  of Community Health Plan, “When we learned of the need for maternal care, we immediately wanted to see if could bring physicians in and remedy the obstetric desert.”

Anyone from throughout Broward County can use the free community resources, including classes such as public speaking, financial planning, and resume workshops. Lerner said the center expects to host 10 to 15 classes a week.

The women who come to the Broward Healthpoint Maternity Care Center for medical services and ultrasounds will be charged a rate similar to what they would pay at a federally funded clinic, which accepts private insurance and Medicaid. Once pregnant, most uninsured women in Florida are eligible for Medicaid.

Rose McKelvie, Broward Health’s associate vice president of women and children’s services, said the medical staff at the new center, particularly nurse practitioners, speak English, Spanish, and Creole, the languages used most often in the surrounding neighborhoods. The telehealth services, funded by the Florida Department of Health, should benefit women who lack transportation or childcare. She expects staff at the center will see as many as 25 patients a day, and possibly more through telehealth visits. Staff also will arrange referrals for social services.

Patients will have access to a community-based doula, McKelvie said. A new federal grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration funds the doula program at Broward HealthPoint. Doulas are professionals who are specifically trained to advocate for women in the childbirth process. A South Florida Sun Sentinel report found they may be the answer to keeping more Black babies alive. HRSA gave a $1 million grant to Broward HealthPoint and five other recipients in Florida as part of its Administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. Nationally, 100 recipients received grants.

Carole Johnson, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, said Broward Health applied for the grant in a highly competitive process. “They recognize having healthy mothers and healthy babies is good for the entire community,” she said. “The grants help build the workforce that delivers the care.”

The Broward Black Maternal Health Collaborative, which brought the new center to fruition, is a partnership of  Community Care Plan, Broward Health, Urban League of Broward County, and the Broward County Healthy Start Coalition. The Health Foundation of South Florida provided $850,000 in funding.

With 10-20% of a person’s health related to medical care and 80-90% related to their health-related social needs, Brown-Burgess said the new center is equipped for more than traditional healthcare. “We are going to take the time to learn where the patient is coming from and her concerns. That’s the challenge in maternal healthcare.”

South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com .