LYNN — A grant from the Women’s Fund of Essex County aims to support new mothers in the community.
Trish Moore, co-president of the fund, said the grant is part of the organization’s mission to support equitable and accessible health care for women.
“We are committed to trying to remove obstacles for women getting health care,” Moore said.
Lynn Women’s Health, an outpatient OB/GYN practice affiliated with Beverly Hospital, which is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, announced last week that it received $24,000 in grant funding from the Women’s Fund of Essex County to support new and expectant mothers in need.
Funds will be used for mothers to access transportation to care, distributing welcome totes for new patients containing multilingual prenatal education materials, and providing car seats for new mothers.
According to LWH Practice Manager Sophea Chea, the funds will allow for the expansion of a program LWF has long offered — giving taxi rides to patients in need, which Chea said is a crucial service for those who can’t drive, those in labor, and those with high-risk pregnancies requiring specialized care in places like Boston.
“A lot of our patients walk,” Chea said. “We’ve seen more patients wanting and needing rides… Our patients really do need it.”
Chea noted that car seats are also crucial for new mothers. However, the high cost of car seats, which are required by many hospitals even if the mother doesn’t have a car, presents a huge challenge for patients of LWH, who are often recent immigrants or non-English speakers looking for equitable healthcare.
“I know that our patients will truly appreciate it and can benefit from it,” Chea said. “A lot of our patients here recently migrated and they don’t have anything. I know they will be so happy.”
According to Moore, resources the funding will give patients access to, like transportation and access to car seats, can have a tremendous impact on access to care, especially for those in disadvantaged situations.
“It can be life and death,” Moore said. “[But] it’s something you forget about.”
