Healthy Moms Clinic: Challenges and Opportunities of Integrating Postpartum Care Into Primary Care and Residency Education

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 201T through 2019 more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable; 53% occurred between seven days and one year after delivery,1 highlighting the value of health care for women beyond the typical six-week postpartum visit with the obstetrician. There is a consensus that an orderly transition from obstetrics/gynecology (ob/gyn) to primary care will improve health equity and decrease maternal morbidity and mortality by enabling care for problems identified during pregnancy,2 in addition to providing longitudinal interpregnancy care.In July 2021, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School implemented a four-year combined internal medicine-preventive medicine (IM/PM) residency with a focus on maternal health. In December 2022, the "Healthy Moms clinic" was introduced to enable the transition of postpartum care to primary care in the IM/PM resident continuity clinic. All women with high-risk pregnancies are screened for access to a primary care physician. Those who report no relationship with a primary care physician are referred to the Healthy Moms clinic, with a visit scheduled within eight to 12 weeks after delivery. This started as a pilot program focused on high-risk pregnancies, with the goal of expanding access to all who deliver at University Hospital in Newark, NJ.The postpartum visit template was developed according to the most recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines and 2030 Healthy People Goals for interconception and preconception care.