BRIDGEPORT, CT — After its launch in October 2023, a state pilot program known as Family Bridge, led by several of Connectcut’s Health and Human Services agencies, provided expert in-home nurse and community health worker assistance to families with more than 500 newborns in the Greater Bridgeport region.
The pilot program aims to ease the transition from hospital to home for the parents of newborn babies by allowing these families to have a nurse or community health worker visit their homes in the immediate days and weeks following birth. It is offered to all families at no cost, and there are no eligibility criteria to apply. Using the Family Connects evidence-based model, it is designed to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and address health disparities by providing a universal, accessible, and seamless system of post-natal care.
The pilot program began as an initiative offered to the families of newborns delivered at Bridgeport Hospital and living in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, and Trumbull. It will include babies born at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport beginning May 31, 2024. Plans are being explored for phased implementation in other areas, including the Norwich region.
“We want every child in Connecticut to have the best start possible, and that includes through essential resources like health care, child care, and education,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “This newly launched initiative is part of our ongoing work to make Connecticut the most family-friendly state in the country. Providing at-home care from registered nurses and community health workers to the families of newborn babies is a smart way of delivering high-impact support when it matters most. We are in a state of progress and opportunity, and this program is exactly that – progress in supporting families that enhances their opportunities for success. I applaud our state’s health and human services agencies for delivering on this pilot program, and I hope to soon expand it throughout Connecticut.”
Participating families can have up to three at-home visits from a registered nurse and, if needed, from a specially trained community health worker. The initial home visit occurs during the first couple weeks after a baby is born, a critical time for parents and babies to receive health screenings. Services offered include new baby check-ups, physical and emotional wellness exams, education about bathing, feeding, sleeping, and safety, lactation support, and connections to needed resources, such as diaper banks, health care programs, and food nutrition assistance programs.
Bianca Charles, a mother who recently gave birth at Bridgeport Hospital and participates in the program, said, “I’m very grateful to have experienced the Family Bridge program and how resourceful it has been. There is great comfort in knowing that as a mom of a growing family, someone still thinks of me and prioritizes all aspects of my health. It is also reassuring as a Connecticut resident that Governor Lamont and his administration are aware of what’s important to Connecticut families.”
Connecticut Office of Health Strategy Executive Director Dr. Deidre Gifford said, “Family Bridge uses a proven model that has been shown to reduce infant mortality, post-partum depression and better health outcomes for moms and babies. However, we know that social determinants of health have a great impact in our health, and that is why our program is inclusive of community health workers to facilitate referrals for families in need of other social supports and resources including assistance with diapers, food and housing. Together, nurses and community health workers provide a comprehensive assessment to families in this pilot. We encourage parents in the served regions to take advantage of this benefit.”
Connecticut Office of Health Strategy Executive Director Dr. Deidre Gifford encourages parents in the regions served to take advantage of this benefit. She said Family Bridge used a proven model that has been shown to reduce infant mortality, post-partum depression, and better health outcomes for moms and babies.
“Together, nurses and community health workers provide a comprehensive assessment to families in this pilot,” Gifford said.
With Jay Domingo/PDM
