Barbara Bush Children's Hospital

Perinatal Outreach

Perinatal education & consultation services

The Perinatal Outreach Education and Consultation (POEC) Services grant is a program designed to provide services to health care providers who care for pregnant Maine citizens and their newborns. POEC program services are provided upon request to all Maine perinatal care providers including physicians, nurses, certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives and other individuals or groups with interest in healthy outcomes for pregnant people and infants.

Funded by: Maine CDC
Grant award: Competitive bid every six years. Awarded for two years. May be renewed up to two cycles.
Current cycle: through June 2025
Service area: Southern Region

Program goals

  • Reducing maternal, fetal and infant mortality and morbidity in Maine
  • Strengthening the factors that contribute to safe and healthy perinatal outcomes
  • Promoting and sustaining a statewide system of high quality perinatal services that are accessible to all residents

Contact Us

Emily Watson, Nurse Coordinator
Kathy Taylor, Administrative Support

Phone: 207-662-5127
Fax: 207-662-6063
Email: Emily.Watson@mainehealth.org

22 Bramhall Street
Portland, ME  04102

Education and Resources

Perinatal Transport Case Conferences are a multi-disciplinary review of transported mothers and babies.

  • Literature reviews on any perinatal topic
  • Individual case reviews

The work plan includes several areas intended to improve perinatal outcomes throughout the state of Maine. Activities and goals include:

  • Completion and dissemination of the Snuggle ME Guidelines (perinatal addiction and newborn narcotic withdrawal guidelines) 
  • Collaborating with hospitals on safe prevention of the primary c-section
  • Collaborating with hospitals to support breastfeeding initiatives
  • Reducing the number of infants dying in unsafe sleep conditions
  • Promoting high quality safe home and hospital birth practices
  • Levels of Care Assessment Tool (LOCATe)/Perinatal System of of Care
  • Aid in the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates
  • Technical Assistance and Support for programs and initiatives related to Perinatal Addiction and Mental Health

Activities include:

  • Member, Maternal and Infant Mortality and Resiliency Review
  • Coordinator, Perinatal Leadership Coalition of Maine four times per year
  • Planner, the MCH Annual Conference

Goals

  1. Support quality improvement initiatives in Maine to increase prenatal breastfeeding education, breastfeeding initiation, and exclusive breastfeeding through six months
  2. Assist in improving the breastfeeding education and services you provide for new moms and babies.

Goals over the next 18 months are to:

  • Increase % of infants ever breastfed (from 85.3%, according to the 2018 CDC BF Report Card)
  • Increase % of infants exclusively breastfed at six months (from 34.1%, 2018 CDC BF Report Card)
  • Increase # of milk depots (two in Maine in 2018)
  • Increase access to Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM) in Level one and Level two nurseries for medically-indicated supplementation 

Sample Policies

Resources

State

National

Patient Education Resources

Perinatal Breastfeeding Newsletters

Breastfeeding Educational Opportunities

Prenatal Education Webinar Series

Contact

Contact Kara Kaikini at kaikik@mmc.org with breastfeeding questions. She is ready to help you on your path to improving breastfeeding support in your hospital, practice or community.

Upcoming Classes & Events

View a list of upcoming classes & events.

Perinatal Clinical Guidelines

View perinatal clinical guidelines and protocols.