A nurse home visiting program for new mothers in North Carolina is proving to be an effective care model that is gaining traction in other states, reports U.S. News & World Report.
The Center for Child & Family Health first launched the Family Connects Durham program in 2008 as a collaboration between Durham, N.C.-based Duke University; Durham-based North Carolina Central University; and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The program offers patients free postpartum home visits in which registered nurses provide clinical guidance and support to new mothers. Nurses have completed more than 17,000 home visits to families since the program's inception.
Researchers have identified several benefits of the program, including improved mental health among mothers, fewer emergency department visits for infants, and lower rates of child abuse investigations.
The program has since expanded to 19 communities nationwide, including major cities like Baltimore and Minneapolis.
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