In South Carolina, a state ranking 8th highest for maternal mortality in the United States, a group of health care professionals is collaborating to support each other in treating high–risk pregnancy patients and improving maternal health outcomes.
Through Project ECHO SC Pregnancy Wellness, they are providing a resource for South Carolina obstetric providers. The project brings telementoring support to providers throughout the state through brief, scheduled telementoring sessions featuring user-driven didactic content about perinatal care, delivered by experts in the field.
One of the leading contributors to poor maternal health outcomes is access to care, according to Dr. Barry Campbell, chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Prisma Health and a board member of the South Carolina Maternal Mortality Committee.
“If you live in a rural area the maternal mortality is twice the rate as it is in urban areas, Dr. Campbell said. “One of the major pieces of that is just access to care in those communities and are the people providing the care in those rural communities most up to date on the information that's out there to help identify problems during pregnancy to get the best care.”
According to Project ECHO Pregnancy Wellness Project Manager Rachel Grater, Project Echo seeks to improve the care provided for expectant mothers through tele-mentoring. It allows providers to access up to date information that is evidence-based. She believes the success is in the learning model.
“One of the things that I find so effective about the Project ECHO model is its method of teaching and learning,” Grater said. “There are segments and the agenda is broken up into sections so that there is a presentation, but then there is ample and robust time for questions and sharing of information,” Grater said.
Lamikka Samuels, is the director of Family Solutions, a program of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health dedicated to improving the quality of life for parents and children in rural communities. Samuels said she believes Project ECHO is a powerful network of support.
“I can't say enough great things about the education that is received from being a part of Project ECHO,” Samuels said. “It is a network of support that gives an opportunity for you to hear different case scenarios and to hear the professional opinions of other individuals as to how they would have handled a particular situation. It helps with learning and continuing education.”
