Expanding Access to Comprehensive Maternity Care in New Mexico

In comparison with other industrialized countries, the U.S suffers from consistently poor maternal health outcomes. Studies have shown that maternal mortality rates have been consistently on the rise since 1999. Between 2018 and 2021, the rate nearly doubled, increasing from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 births to 32.9. 

Despite worsening trends, over 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, with access to quality maternity care being a critical component of positive outcomes. Up to 6.9 million women live in maternity care deserts - with low or no access to obstetrical care, including hospital services, birth center care, obstetricians, or midwives.  

Nowhere is this more pronounced than New Mexico, where 33.3 percent of counties are defined as maternity care deserts. Additionally, 17.9 percent of women had no access to a birthing hospital within 30 minutes. In the rest of the U.S, this figure is 9.7 percent. 

‍Galileo’s Prenatal and Postpartum Care Program

In a state mired by poor social determinants of health, we have launched a new suite of maternity care services in New Mexico to augment state-wide access to care. 

Combining the strengths of our virtual and field care models, Galileo’s prenatal and postpartum program supports birthing parents along their entire journey, from early pregnancy identification and prenatal care, to delivery and postpartum support. 

Central to the program is an evidence-based clinical model that establishes the right care pathway for each patient. These pathways have been developed by clinical OB experts in order to deliver timely and risk-appropriate care, depending on the patient’s needs. 

Building on Galileo’s existing multispecialty digital care model, birthing parents will have access to:

• 24/7 virtual provider access to address prenatal and postpartum milestones, along with dietitian and high-risk OB consults as needed 
• Video- and text-based doula consults for birthing plan, delivery, lactation, and postpartum support 
• Integrated behavioral health care before and after delivery, designed to support perinatal depression and anxiety  
• A personal care navigator to support appointment scheduling, accessing community resources, and collaboration with in-person care teams

For patients at high-risk of poor pregnancy outcomes due to medical complications or barriers to care, our field team will conduct home visits to screen for emerging or worsening risks, provide complex care services, and coordinate care with local resources. This model is designed to augment overburdened local services and will be integrated with our programmatic and on-demand virtual services that offer comprehensive primary and specialty care.

‍The Impact of a Unified Care Model 

Within our existing markets, we’ve already seen how a unified care model - one that integrates primary, multispecialty, and behavioral health - can drive positive outcomes. With the addition of maternity care services to this model, we’re looking forward to playing a significant role in expanding access and improving the health of New Mexico.