Washington County Public Health Begins Nurse-Family Partnership Services

For Immediate Release: Monday, May 09, 2016

Washington County Public Health begins offering Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) today. The NFP program provides nurse home visitation services to low-income, first-time mothers. Washington County Public Health expects to serve 100 mothers with this new program in the coming year. Nurses begin home visits early in the mother's pregnancy and continue until the child's second birthday. Nurses provide support, education, and counseling on health, behavioral and self-sufficiency issues.

Specifically, nurses will provide pregnancy education including nutrition, when to call the doctor, labor and delivery preparation, breastfeeding preparation and more. They will monitor weight gain and blood pressure throughout pregnancy. Through case management, the nurses will work to ensure that the mothers have no barriers to prenatal care, are connected to resources for food, and assist in gathering supplies for the baby. Nurses will also provide essential social support and parenting guidance during the first two years of the child's life, a critical period of growth and development.

NFP services are designed to complement, not replace, regular doctor visits.

"We work to ensure that there is a robust support network for our mothers, children and families," says Public Health Division Manager Tricia Mortell. "The implementation of Nurse-Family Partnership in our community allows us to direct our resources in a way that has the most impact on those at highest risk."

NFP is one of the most rigorously tested programs of its kind. Mothers and children who have participated in the program have consistently demonstrated significantly improved prenatal health, increased maternal employment, improved child school readiness, reduced involvement in crime, and less child abuse, neglect and injuries.

"We are excited to start offering Nurse-Family Partnership services to our community," says Jessica Nye, Maternal and Child Health program supervisor with Washington County Public Health. "This program has the ability to change the life trajectories and health outcomes for both mothers and children, benefiting multiple generations."

For more information about the Nurse-Family Partnership program, contact Jessica Nye at 503-846-3712 or [email protected].

Washington County Public Health has provided a variety of home visiting programs for more than 25 years and will continue to provide these support services to Washington County residents. In addition to the new NFP program, Maternal and Child Health program services include nursing and social support services for mothers, high-risk babies and children with special health care needs.

Washington County Public Health improves and protects the public's health across the lifespan through prevention, education, partnerships and healthy environments.

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