Local Health Departments and Preconception Care

The preconception period represents a critical opportunity for rural LHDs to intervene. Rural LHDs often deliver many of the components of preconception care. Rural LHDs educate clients about family planning, tobacco and substance use during pregnancy, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. They also provide information to promote exercise, proper nutrition, and the importance of folic acid. These services are not limited to pregnant women or those planning pregnancy, but available to all women as a method of health promotion and disease prevention.

With tight budgets and limited resources, there is significant need for the coordinated delivery and promotion of preconception health and health care services. Rural health departments must overcome silos, take inventory of services within the health department, and strategize with community partners to strengthen financial, human, and capital resources for the effective delivery of preconception health services. Promoting preconception care and creating a plan to carry out these interventions provides an opportunity for rural LHDs to integrate and strengthen services.

The goal of this initiative is to improve the capacity of rural local health departments to address the preconception health and health care needs of individuals in their community through coordination of existing health department and community services.

Selected Demonstration Sites:

• Hertford County (NC) Public Health Authority
• Okanogan County (WA) Public Health
• Uncas (CT) Health District

Demonstration Sites Received:

• Travel stipends to The Second National Summit on Preconception Health and Health Care
• A three-day training on coalition development (Coalition University) and ToP® (Technology of Participation) Group Facilitation Methods
  

Sites also participated in facilitated bi-monthly peer-to-peer conference calls. NACCHO staff conducted site visits to the LHD demonstration sites and observed coalition meetings at each site. During these meetings, LHDs met with community partners to assess the current state of affairs regarding the delivery of preconception care services, identified resources and perceived challenges, and discussed ways to overcome challenges and coordinate the delivery of preconception services.

For more on the goals, accomplishments, and lessons learned from this initiative, click here.