Nurse-Family Partnership – Changing Lives, One Family at a Time

Your generous support of For All of Us has made a profound difference for families like Danielle Grantham’s. Through your contributions, MetroHealth has been able to develop life-changing programs and services that improve health outcomes, create opportunities and save lives. One such program is the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP), a nationally recognized initiative that supports pregnant patients and their babies.

Danielle found strength and stability through NFP, which pairs BSN-prepared registered nurses with low-income patients expecting their first child. These patients are at risk for preventable pregnancy complications and poor birth outcomes. For the past nine years, MetroHealth’s NFP has provided this vital support, helping families build healthier futures.

Thanks to a recent $500,000 grant from the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation, the program has expanded. It now welcomes patients at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of whether they’ve had previous pregnancies. This expansion allows NFP to reach even more families in need.

NFP nurses make regular home visits throughout pregnancy and continue their support until the child’s second birthday. Danielle credits her visiting nurse with helping her navigate one of the most vulnerable times in her life.

Throughout the program, nurses monitor patients’ health, provide essential education and empower parents to care for themselves and their babies. Nurses also help families envision a path to economic independence and work with them to set and achieve personal goals.

“We’re grateful to have the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation as a longstanding partner in our work to end maternal and fetal health gaps in Cuyahoga County,” said Dr. Donald “Chip” Wiper III, Chair of MetroHealth’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director of the program.

“We’ve seen the good the Nurse-Family Partnership has done for first-time patients and their babies. The opportunity to build on these successful outcomes is reason to celebrate,” Wiper said.

The need for this program is urgent. Cuyahoga County has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the state. Black women and infants are disproportionately affected. Black women are two and a half times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes. Black infants die before their first birthday at nearly three times the rate of white infants, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

However, programs like NFP are making a measurable difference. An ODH study found that participants in the state’s Help Me Grow home-visiting programs, including NFP, had an infant mortality rate less than half that of those not enrolled in such programs.

“I know I am a great mom because of the Nurse-Family Partnership.”

– Danielle Grantham
Nurse-Family Partnership Coordinator for Administrative Outreach

Kimberly Green, MSN, RN, C-EFM, Vice President of Women and Children Services and administrator of NFP, emphasized that the program goes far beyond traditional nursing care. Led by nurse supervisors Sara Biedenbach, MEd, BSN, RNC-MNN, and Maria Rush, MSN, RN, CNML, the team is committed to addressing the social determinants of health that affect patients’ well-being.

“Our program is not just about traditional nursing,” Biedenbach said. “We support our clients and help them set and meet life goals. That could be offering help with applying for a job, finishing high school or going on to further their education. We encourage and connect them with resources. We help with everything from budgeting to making grocery lists that prioritize nutrition. Whatever goal the new parents may have, the nurses will do everything in their power to help them get there.”

The program’s success is built on collaboration. Referrals to NFP come from a wide network, including MetroHealth’s OB/GYN and Family Medicine clinics located throughout Cleveland and Cuyahoga County; other local health systems such as Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Neighborhood Family Practice, Care Alliance and Circle Health; Medicaid managed care plans; WIC; local school districts; Pathway HUB and community-based organizations. Patients can also self-refer.

Importantly, participants don’t need to be MetroHealth patients. In fact, about 25 percent of clients deliver at other hospitals. Regardless of where they receive care, those who enroll in the program become part of a lasting support system.

The program’s roots in Cuyahoga County trace back to 2015, when the Mt. Sinai Health Foundation founding President Mitchell Balk championed its launch. Recognizing the program’s success in other cities, he saw an urgent need to bring it to Northeast Ohio and partnered with MetroHealth to make it happen.

“We are thrilled that MetroHealth has scaled the Nurse-Family Partnership across Northeast Ohio, serving 400 first-time moms on an ongoing basis,” Balk said. “Mt. Sinai’s recent $500,000 grant helps MetroHealth reach all moms who know the benefits a home-visiting nurse can bring for both mom and baby, prenatally to age two.”

Today, Danielle Grantham is giving back to the program that once supported her. She now serves as the Nurse-Family Partnership Coordinator for Administrative Outreach, helping other families access the same life-changing care.

“There’s a lot of education and knowledge that goes into being a parent that a lot of people don’t have access to,” Grantham said. “It means so much just to have someone to talk to who isn’t going to look down on you because you can’t afford a pack of diapers. The nurses provide emotional support, education and resources.”

“I don’t feel like I would be the mom I am today if I didn’t have my visiting nurse. That’s what I tell everyone when they call in to the program office or when I’m at meetings in the community. I know I am a great mom because of the Nurse- Family Partnership.”

For more information, contact Kathryn E. Plummer, Director of Grants and Proposals at The MetroHealth Foundation, at 440-592-1393.