Health Dept. Home
About Us
Administration
Annual Reports
Appointments Online
Board of Health
Clinics
Community Health Data
Contact Us
Emerging Health Issues
Environmental Health
Gaston Family Dental Clinic
Gaston Family Health Services
HIPAA Notice
Links
Local Health Services Directory
Location & Directions
News
Sanitation Scores
Septic Records
Services & Programs
Talking to Your Kids About Sex
Health Department Opens New Maternity Clinic Facility Aimed at Improved Access to Prenatal and Midwifery Care
Gaston Midwifery Associates, a program of the Gaston County Health Department's Maternity Services Program, will open a new satellite clinic with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, January 21 at 10 a.m . The clinic is located at 2311 Aberdeen Blvd., in Gastonia. The public is invited to view the facility and meet the staff at an open-house on Saturday, January 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m . The clinic officially opens for business Monday, January 24. Operating hours will be 8-5.
In the planning stage for over a year, the facility is designed to serve clients in other areas of Gaston County who are not in close proximity to the department's main location in southwest Gastonia. "We currently enjoy a very successful Maternity Services Program," explained Colleen Bridger, Health Director for Gaston County. "Our staff provides special skills and understanding that can make pregnancy a more personal experience. But we had many patients who expressed interest in receiving our maternity services at a satellite location that was more accessible," Bridger added.
In developing the new site, health officials established several goals:
- To increase access to Health Department services by having more than one site
- To deliver high quality care through a service that can be used by clients on Medicaid
- To reduce transportation barriers for patients
The satellite location will be known as Gaston Midwifery Associates, offering both pre-natal and midwifery care. All Nurse Midwives are certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives. They provide safe and personalized care, along with education on diet, hygiene, and exercise, to ensure women can maintain good health through pregnancy and beyond. "Midwives combine the best practices of public health, medicine, nursing, and midwifery," Health Director Bridger said. "They also provide primary care in collaboration with physicians who they consult when problems may affect the health of mothers and their babies." More than 700 of the births in 2003 at Gaston Memorial Hospital were attended by Nurse Midwives
In addition to midwifery services, the clinic will provide routine prenatal services such as the Centering Program, which features prenatal education in group settings. The clinic will also offer limited prenatal testing and substance abuse counseling for clients in the Maternity Services Program.
For further information on the Gaston County Health Department Maternity Services Program, please call (704) 853-5009.