Public Employee Press
DC 37 News
Local 436 Nurses are Mommy helpers
Emerly Martins was a young teen when her mother abandoned her for the Dominican Republic. Fleeing an abusive father, Emerly entered a homeless shelter. During the intake physical, she learned she was pregnant.
“I was not going to give up my child,” said Martins, who connected with Abby Goldstein, a Local 436 Public Health Nurse. Goldstein supported the teen mom through two pregnancies and guided her out of abusive relationships to find a happier life for herself and her children.
“Abby taught me so much,” Martins beamed, “especially how to get the help I need to keep myself and my family healthy.”
“Most of all we help young moms not to become overwhelmed and give up,” said Goldstein.
The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) staffed by Local 436 Public Health Nurses are a lifeline to stem the high maternal and infant morbidity for at-risk, first-time mothers in New York City. In mid-August, Martins was among 30 new moms and as many energetic toddlers at an informal graduation ceremony held by the Nurse Family Partnership’s Targeted Citywide Initiative (TCI).
The special program pairs Health Dept. nurses with black and Latina teens in foster care and young women in the city’s homeless shelters, Rikers Island jail and juvenile justice facilities, during their first pregnancies until their child reaches age 2.
TCI started in 2007 and has about 38 nurses who work to reduce death rates through one-to-one relationships with parent and child.
Judith Arroyo, president of Local 436, said, “The professionalism and support the nurses give makes all the difference in the lives of young mothers and their infants.”
Nurses like Goldstein advise their clients on what to expect during pregnancy. They teach moms how to take care of themselves and their infants, to avoid domestic abuse, and to become productive, self-sufficient parents through education and steady employment.
The nurses share knowledge and a cache of baby clothes, toys, car seats, and playpens. They are a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear, with resources, wisdom and professional help to impart vital life skills.
Black moms at risk
Black women and Latinas are eight times more likely than white women to die in childbirth in New York City. Nationwide, black women, regardless of education or income, are three to four times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery as white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To counter the appalling statistics, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new initiative in NYC Health + Hospitals to help reduce morbidity rates for pregnant women of color.
“This program works,” said Arroyo. “It saves lives of mothers and children and it keeps women out of prison.”
“This summer the successful TCI program hit a glitch,” Arroyo said, when “the Health Department pulled Public Health Nurses’ vehicles. How are we supposed to transport supplies to our clients? It’s hard to carry a car seat and a playpen on the train.”
