Adapting Group Prenatal Care for Telehealth

Adapting Group Prenatal Care for Telehealth: Lessons from a Federally Qualified Health CenterWhen COVID-19 made in-person group prenatal care impossible, the midwifery team at Mary's Center, a federally qualified health center serving a predominantly a Spanish-speaking community in Washington, DC, didn't just adapt they innovated.In this episode of Speaking of Midwives, our host Dr. Melissa Avery talks with Dr. Katherine Daly and Dr. Christina Marea (both of Georgetown University) about their two companion articles on rebuilding Mary's Center's group prenatal care program for telehealth. This model included Zoom-based sessions, at-home blood pressure monitoring, bilingual facilitators, and preserved in-person touch points for essential care.The results were striking: the telehealth group care clients completed significantly more prenatal visits than those in individual telehealth care (15.6 vs. 10.3) and were far more likely to receive adequate care. Qualitative findings added the rest of the story. The participants felt genuinely connected, supported, and seen.Dr. Daly and Dr. Marea also discuss what it takes to sustain this kind of model, from funding and digital literacy support to the policy changes needed to reimburse group and telehealth care fairly, especially as Medicaid and DC Alliance cuts threaten access. Tune in to hear how a team of midwives turned a crisis into a model of care worth replicating.The articles:Daily C, Gresh A, Hamilton ER, and Marea CX. Adapting Group Prenatal Care for Telehealth: A COVID-Era Innovation to Address Barriers to Care for Latinx Clients. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2024: 69(6); 945-951. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13701Daily C, Gresh A, Hamilton, E.R., Crowell, N.A., Martinez, G.G.A. and Marea, C.X. (2026), Evaluating the Impact of Telehealth Prenatal Care at a Federally Qualified Health Center. J Midwifery Womens Health. Published online May 21, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70107Catherine (Katie) Daily DNP, CNM, FACNMwww.maryscenter.orghttps://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014Ry8mAAC/catherine-daily-dnp-cnm-facnm?asPublic=truehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-daily-a15036351/Christina Marea PhD, CNM, MA, MSN, FACNM https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-marea-95a978239https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/00336000014Tp5cAAC/christina-x-marea-phd-ma-msn-facnm