‘Mom’s Heart Matters:’ Initiative launches in Hinesville

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Liberty Regional Medical Center held an event Saturday to celebrate the launch of a new initiative aimed at improving the heart health of mothers who just gave birth.

The program is called ‘Mom’s Heart Matters.’ Dr. Keisha Callins, who is an OBGYN says this program empowers mothers to manage their own health and it can potentially save more lives.

So, what is the program? A mother who meets certain criteria, will go home with a goodie bag that includes a blood pressure cuff.

Through an app, doctors will be able to see their patients’ blood pressure in real time.

This is a preventative approach to the many heart conditions doctors say mothers can develop during and after pregnancy. Dr. Callins and her colleague Dr. Borquaye say it’s an amazing and much-needed program, especially for the rural communities.

“That will not replace them going to the physician and doing their appropriate follow up. Of course, follow up happens maybe in a week or two weeks, but this allows us to pay really close attention to moms immediately after they deliver which is when we have a lot of issues.”

“We do an average of about 35 deliveries a month and we’re seeing that some of the patients, because they are poor or of low income they’re developing hypertensive disease of pregnancy which can later, after delivery, lead to heart attack or heart problems.”

At the end of the event Liberty Regional Medical Center CEO Tammy Mims and staff unveiled this new sign that Mims says will be hung in their perinatal unit.

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