Charlotte generational clinic pairs postnatal care, wellness for babies and mothers

Almost 40% of moms miss their postpartum checkups, according to March of Dimes.

It’s the time when mothers are most at risk for health issues. To help remedy that, a community health center has opened a Two-Generation Clinic in Charlotte — one of two across the country — to improve mother’s chances to be seen by a doctor.

Care Ring, which reaches 8,000 patients a year, is a primary care center located near the city’s Lockwood neighborhood off Graham Street. While the nonprofit is nearing its 70th year of operating, it started taking clients for its new Two-Generation clinic in July.

The Two-Generation Clinic is donation-based and will provide medical care for mothers, babies and other family members in one visit.

“Moms will neglect to get that adequate postpartum care for themselves,” Tchernavia Montgomery, CEO, said. “The infant will most often have that service. Especially with women that are in poverty, they may have additional barriers that are preventing them from receiving adequate care. So our hope is with this clinic to close that gap.”

The year following birth is critical for mom and baby, Montgomery said. This “fourth trimester” can allow health risks especially for those with cardiovascular issues, diabetes, high blood pressure and mental health challenges. These all lead to infant mortality and morbidity, she added.

The Two-Generation Clinic model was first launched in 2020 by the University of Illinois Health System.

What does the Two-Generation clinic offer?

Two appointment rooms have been designed at the clinic to be larger, and include a kids’ corner and a chair made for breast feeding.

Care Ring wants more mothers to breast feed, Montgomery said, so lactation consulting is one significant aspect included in the new program.

Mothers are usually scheduled to see their OB-GYN about six weeks after their baby is born, Megan Dunn, nurse and lactation consultant at the clinic said.

“The first couple of weeks after the delivery is when it’s really important for mom and baby to both learn the skill of breast feeding. And so six weeks, often it’s pretty late to intervene if there are troubles.”

The two-in-one model will allow mothers to have lactation check-ins before the six week mark when the baby gets their regular checkups.

The clinic will offer postpartum depression interventions, supplies such as diapers and connections to food, housing and transportation resources along with lactation support.

“What we want is to just make this a well-rounded visit so that mom doesn’t have to worry about going to her follow up visit, taking the baby for their visits, then maybe they need counseling and then social work things, we can take care of all that here,” said Steffani Sullivan, who is one of three family nurse practitioners at the clinic.

Montgomery said the organization wants the space to feel comfortable for whoever comes into the colorful waiting room. Each implementation comes from someone’s personal experience, she said. Montgomery had her first child when she was 15. She encountered barriers, but all she wanted was to be a responsible mother, she said.

At her baby’s first checkup Montgomery was told she needed an adult to accompany her. Later the facility agreed to see them without an adult present, but the experience made her want to provide a space where everyone can be helped.

“We want to help people that have barriers or gaps to care and that could be with anyone,” she said. “But poverty in itself is the main predictor for someone to likely need services from us. We serve the underserved.”

Since its move in February, Care Ring also opened a Nourish Up food pantry where community members can shop for seven days worth of food and Baby Bundles filled with supplies for home visits.

“Those sorts of things help someone to have better access to healthcare because they’re able to eat better, they’re able to get to their appointments in a timely manner,” Montgomery said. “Making sure that we are trying to assess their quality of housing, their environmental conditions, if they’re exposed to violence or another concern within their household that we’re helping them to problem solve.”

Funding

Anyone that is uninsured can come to the Two-Generation Clinic, regardless if the patient has a job, are in between jobs or can’t afford insurance, Montgomery said.

“We want people to get the help they need first and not have to worry about an inability to pay,” she said.

Care Ring also began accepting Medicaid for the first time in July.

Since the new clinic is funded by donations, patients are able to pay what they can afford.

For example, the Bissell Ballantyne Legacy Foundation is what Montgomery called a “catalytic funder.” The foundation initially donated $250,000 to the clinic and has renewed this year for another $250,000.

“We recognize that new mothers often face overlapping challenges related to primary care and mental health,” said Whitney Feld, the foundation’s president, in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “By leveraging postpartum visits to deliver care for both infants and their mothers, this innovative model not only improves health outcomes during a critical period, but it also respects a mother’s time and strengthens the entire family’s foundation for long-term well-being.”

Bissell Ballantyne is a private family foundation established in 2023 by Margaret and Smoky Bissell.

“Our mission is to invest in innovative ideas and bold leadership to drive positive outcomes in health, human services, and education across the greater Charlotte region,” Feld added.

Care Ring also receives funding from Mecklenburg County for programs that align with its access to care and Prenatal-to-Three Strategic Plan.

“There are significant health disparities in Mecklenburg County with Black women and their babies three times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than their white peers,” said Montgomery.

Public Health and Care Ring work together with the organization’s A Guided Journey program, the Nurse Family Partnership program and Physicians Reach Out program. The county will also partner with the Two-Generation Clinic.

“Ensuring good health for mothers and babies is a key priority for public health to help improve the overall health and well-being of our residents and our community,” said Raynard Washington, director of the Public Health Department at Mecklenburg County.