pregnancy prenatal maternity postpartum clinic evanston wy

Maternal Health Evanston

Intermountain Health is now offering pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum maternal health services in the Evanston, Wyoming, area through a new program called Maternal Health Connections (MHC). 

The new Intermountain program offers a combination of in-person, virtual and home visits, as well as remote patient monitoring for moms-to-be and new moms.

This community-based program provides access to virtual visits from Intermountain OB-GYN physicians and providers based in Utah. In-person care is provided by an Intermountain Health registered nurse at the MHC clinic, which is located in the Uinta Medical Building at 196 Arrowhead Drive. 

Clinic appointments are available two days per week on Wednesdays and Fridays, except for the first week of the month, it’s Monday and Friday.

“Pregnancy can be a difficult time in a woman’s life, and current economic and geographic challenges do not make it simpler,” said Ibrahim Hammad, MD, a maternal fetal medicine physician at Intermountain Health who oversees the program.

“It’s part of our responsibility as healthcare professionals, to not only provide care and treatment in clinics and hospitals, but also to reach out to our patients in an effort to ease their burden. This program is designed to bring maternal care to the patient,” he added.

Following the recent closure of Evanston Regional Hospital’s maternity services, pregnant and new moms have had to travel longer distances on remote roads, subject to severe weather, to access the frequent prenatal visits and follow-up postpartum care recommended to ensure a healthy pregnancy and recovery after childbirth.

“Our mission is to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Uinta County and surrounding communities. We’re excited to bring a local maternity care option to these Wyoming families,” said Krystal Richards, grants project director for Maternal Health Connections at Intermountain Health.

A large TV screen in the MHC clinic allows an OB-GYN physician or midwife based in Utah to consult with a Wyoming patient through telehealth, assisted by an Intermountain on-site nurse. 

Courtney Bettinson, BSN, provides the hands-on care needed during telehealth visits held at the clinic, such as taking moms’ vital signs and listening for baby’s heart tones. She also helps patients navigate referrals for any related care. She’s also able to do basic ultrasounds on-site.

“I’ve been a women and newborn nurse in Evanston for 13 years and have lived here all my life. I’ve put my heart and soul into developing this new program,” said Bettinson. “I’m passionate about women’s health and providing access to care for moms and babies. I love and care about the people in our community.”

The MHC program also offers remote patient monitoring devices for participating pregnant moms to take home beginning at 28 weeks. The equipment includes a blood pressure cuff to determine current blood pressure; a pulse oximeter that measures oxygen saturation and heart rate; a thermometer to take body temperature, and a scale to measure the patient’s weight.

The monitoring equipment is connected to a mobile phone App that is connected to Intermountain Health’s Virtual Hospital in Murray, Utah. The virtual hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by nurses who can elevate concerns or complications to an on-call maternal fetal medicine physician.

 Moms in the clinic can keep the equipment through six weeks postpartum.

Labor and delivery services for MHC patients are provided at nearby Intermountain Health hospitals, including Intermountain Health Park City Hospital in Park City, Utah and Intermountain Health McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

After moms and newborns return to Wyoming, Bettinson also does postpartum home visits, patient education, offers lactation support and does weight checks for babies. The MHC program provides home visits and related care for up to one year postpartum.

“This innovative maternity care access model is made possible by a $3.9 million grant awarded to Intermountain Health by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration,” said Richards. “Intermountain Health is committed to maintaining maternal healthcare access in Uinta County.”

Intermountain has offered Maternal Health Connections services in rural Montana since 2023. Results show significant travel mileage savings for patients, decreases in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores, and an increase in continuity of care.

For more information on Intermountain Health’s Maternal Health Connection in Wyoming, call or text 307-426-0694 or send an email to [email protected]

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