Beacon Health receives $135K grant for ‘Mobile Mom Unit’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe South Bend-based 1st Source Foundation has awarded a multi-year, $135,000 grant to Beacon Health System. The health system said the grant will fund a Mobile Mom Unit to bring maternal health care services to under-resourced communities.
Beacon said in a news release that the Mobile Mom Unit is a retrofitted RV that will include clinical and consultation areas, designed to bring health care services to women where they live and work.
Set to launch in late 2025, the unit will initially serve Elkhart and St. Joseph counties with a focus on addressing disparities in health care.
“Early access to prenatal care is critical for preventing maternal and infant mortality,” Beacon Health Foundation President Susan King said in the release. “Many of our families face multiple barriers to receiving care, including transportation challenges and childcare issues. By bringing these services directly into the community, we can help ensure healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies.”
The health system said more than one-third of mothers in Elkhart and St. Joseph counties do not receive care during their first trimester of pregnancy, and mortality rates for families with Medicaid coverage are three times higher than those with private insurance.
The Mobile Mom Unit will be staffed by Community Health workers to provide pregnancy testing, insurance enrollment assistance, and connections to medical care and support services.
Beacon Health aims to expand the program into Marshall County in 2026.