Assessing how maternal health care needs are met for women of color at a pregnancy pop-up village
By: Kaelah Jackson
Department: Biology
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Leticia Márquez-Magaña and Dr. Kala Meht (UCSF)
I am working with Dr. Kala Mehta to examine what are the barriers to women of color to access maternal and child health services in the San Francisco bay area. Specifically, we would like to understand what are the barriers for women themselves, as well as key informants from community based organizations who offer their services to impact the community. Lastly, we would like to understand which community groups are most in need of these services.
The rationale for this needs assessment process is to try to develop a Pregnancy Pop-Up village for health and wellness tailored to the needs of San Mateo county area residents. The vision is that it would provide a “one-stop-shop” for pregnancy/ family related services and these offerings would be open to all but would emphasize serving families of color. Pregnancy care in the US is full of inequities and the Pregnancy Pop-UP Village may help to reduce these disparities.
Pop-up villages have been used successfully in San Francisco and are a multiorganizational approach to educating members of the community to local resources. The objectives are to place the access to these programs within the grasp of the people who need them. The diversity of services offered reflect the strong support of the community being able to create a network of opportunities for those in need. The pop up reflects the strong belief that early education and early access in health and wellness strengthens the community as a whole.