STAFF EVALUATION OF A HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY PROGRAM

A southeastern state implemented a multidisciplinary health care progr am for Medicaid eligible, medically high-risk pregnant women and their infants as part of a statewide effort to reduce perinatal morbidity a nd mortality. The purpose of this study was to obtain the staff's eval uation of this high-risk-pregnancy program. Clinical, supervisory, and clerical staff (N = 182) completed a questionnaire about the operatio n of the program and its perceived benefits. Staff identified program strengths: nurse case management, interdisciplinary structure, quality care, and positive health outcomes. Staff also identified program lim itations including limited staff and time, inflexible protocols, admin istrative tasks, and narrow enrollment criteria. The majority of staff reported that the following barriers interfered with the effective op eration of the program: paperwork, limited support, time, difficulty l ocating patients, and mandated time frames for patient contact. The ma jority of staff also reported that transportation most interfered with patient access to the program. The findings of this study support the need for ongoing staff evaluation of all perinatal health care progra ms.