Maternal Health Matters at Hometown Health Centers: Resource Exploration and Analysis of OB Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure (OBSMBP) Program

New and expecting mothers from New York's Capital Region have access to many resources to support their journey in beginning motherhood. As the Ronald Matthew Obenzinger '61 Scholar, I have spent a year interning in the OB/GYN department of Hometown Health Centers (HHC) in Schenectady compiling these resources into a guide to be distributed to patients to improve access to information that could impact their health and the well-being of their child. One particular resource I have been examining has been HHC's OB Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Program. This program involves distributing equipment to monitor cardiovascular health at home to be able to identify any irregularities in a timely manner and minimize potential effects on the mother or child. HHC provides blood pressure monitors to patients who are at risk for complications during pregnancy due to hypertension. The monitors are useful to identify patients with chronic and gestational hypertension, as well as to monitor patients with chronic hypertension for preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is one of the leading conditions contributing to maternal mortality. Data collected by patients who used a blood pressure monitor during their pregnancy and postpartum period can aid in understanding trends and assessing how tracking blood pressure could make a difference in maternal health trajectories. My role is to support HHC in determining the program's success. Tangible evidence illustrating the blood pressure monitoring program's ability to identify patients at risk will be vital to HHC's ability to continue offering it to patients and in applying for future grants.