Improving Healthcare for New Moms and Children

October 21, 2024


Affordable and accessible health care is crucial for families. It reduces financial stress and ensures they can seek necessary treatments without fear of overwhelming medical expenses. This access allows for timely preventive care, helping families stay healthy and avoid more costly medical issues down the road. It also eliminates the burden of choosing between health care and other essential needs, like housing or food.
Celebrating the opening of the Windham Early Childhood Center.
My colleagues and I are working diligently to improve health care in Windham for children and families, and we are starting to see results of these efforts. One of our most significant achievements is the recent opening of the Windham Early Childhood Center (WECC). It provides a safe, nurturing environment where children can be cared for from birth to the first grade. WECC offers continuity in early education that many cities and towns struggle to provide, ensuring that our children receive the care and developmental support they need from a young age.
We are also taking a step in the right direction to improving and protecting pregnant women and their infants. Last week, I was pleased to hear the Office of Health Strategy (OHS) approved an independent study in collaboration with Windham Hospital to explore the potential for establishing a freestanding birthing center in our community. This research will evaluate the need for such a facility after the hospital shut down its labor and delivery services in 2023. The loss of these services has a negative effect on pregnant women and their families, who are now forced to drive long distances on winding and secondary roads to give birth at other hospitals.
I’m happy to share that Family Bridge will soon offer free services to families with new babies in Windham as they transition from hospital to home. At a recent event, we learned Family Bridge will launch a pilot program on January 1, 2025, providing up to three home visits from a registered nurse and referrals from a community health worker for all Windham residents. The visits will determine if a new mother needs additional support, ensuring that families have the resources they need during this critical time. This initiative further strengthens our community’s commitment to improving healthcare and supporting families right from the start.
 
I will keep you updated on all of these developments.