Last year, Hamilton County saw the fewest number of Black infant deaths on record. This came as a community of partners focused squarely on improving a longstanding racial disparity in birth outcomes. Many of these efforts were led by Black women. Over the next several weeks, we will be highlighting the stories of nine of these women. Read on to learn about Kimberley Stephens from Mercy Health.
As the manager of the Prenatal Outreach Program (POP) for Mercy Health, Kimberley Stephens helps a team of community health workers connect moms-to-be with the resources they need to enjoy a healthy first year with their babies.
By focusing on a few specific zip codes in Hamilton County, Kimberley and her team can really get to know families in those communities and deeply support them through pregnancy and afterward. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional stress and responsibilities for mothers; yet, Kimberley’s team has found creative ways to reach women as they look for support. From video conferencing check-ins to maintaining a safe distance to deliver supplies, they are meeting needs across communities. Kimberley’s team also provides grief counseling and makes referrals to other services as needed.
Kimberley remains optimistic about the outlook of infant mortality in our area. “We are moving the bar in a positive direction. This program and grant will improve lives. As we establish trust with moms, this personal approach will speed up the results we all want to see. The community health workers are really the difference – they are necessary agents to help remove barriers from people’s paths.”
Kimberley and her team advocate for mothers to care for themselves. They see how self-care really shows up in the babies’ health too – if moms do well, babies do well. Additionally, Kimberley sees some common misconceptions in our community about Black women. Many people believe that Black women don’t want to receive prenatal care. This isn’t true. Many moms face work, transportation or childcare challenges that make attending regular prenatal appointments difficult.
She is excited to see happy, healthy births of babies and to celebrate more babies reaching their first birthdays. A community full of happy families is the ultimate goal, and Kimberley has a strategy to get there: getting into the community and getting engaged, building trust and rapport with families, and connecting women to the services they need – one community at a time, one pregnancy at a time. This is how we can all see results.
Kimberley’s advice for new moms: It is so important to care for yourself. When you are pouring out, you have to have someone who is pouring into you. To be able to handle pregnancy and being a mom. I don’t care if it is a long, hot shower – something simple can really help. Reach out and communicate; do not keep things to yourself. Let people know what you are struggling with so you can get support. As women, we take on so much responsibility, and you need to know that it is okay to get the support you need.