Supporting Strong Moms at the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center with help from Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Special Health Section - Advertorial
A lifetime of health begins before birth; the health of a mother can set the tone for the rest of a baby’s life. That is why people throughout the Partners HealthCare system are working to develop innovative new programs to provide support to new parents and their growing families.
Sundyna Beaven, a certified nurse midwife at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, knows firsthand the importance of giving new babies a healthy start. At the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, a community health center in Fields Corner with more than 22,000 patients, Sundyna connects patients with needed services right in their own neighborhood. Her work at the Brigham provides the opportunity to collaborate with other Brigham midwives and has helped Sundyna identify new approaches for the care of her patients and their growing families. “We are grateful to Sundyna and for our relationship with the Brigham,” says Michelle Nadow, chief administrative director of the Dorchester House. “Sundyna eagerly embraces new ideas and strategies to help all of her patients meet their desired health outcomes.”
Sundyna’s work with Carrie Shelly, a licensed clinical social worker and resident of the Dorchester House community, has led to the implementation of the Strong Moms program at the Dorchester House, which provides structure for mothers of infants to develop goals, build self-advocacy skills and connect with other mothers. Carrie works extensively with youth and shares in Sundyna’s commitment to help young moms. Through this shared commitment, Strong Moms emerged and is designed to provide young mothers with the support and community they need as they raise their children.
The youth that Sundyna and Carrie interact with are teenage moms who struggle to find support and a sense of community as young mothers. “Safety, pride in the community, and friendships all make a difference when raising a child,” says Sundyna. “Strong Moms provides the opportunity to make lasting relationships and connect with other moms who live just down the street.”
Mothers participating in the Strong Moms Program gain not only the support of and connection to their peers, but are also given a variety of opportunities to work on their own life and goals. Strong Moms works to develop a learning community that empowers young moms so that they can be actively engaged in their own personal development, along with the development of their child. “Strong Moms aims to help young mothers set goals and improve their opportunities in order to help end the cycle of poverty for them and their children,” says Sundyna. Meeting on a weekly basis, the mothers work on everything from goal setting to finances, education and parenting skills. Each week features a different topic and each week the moms have the help and support of Sundyna, Carrie, and each other. Tasks that can seem overwhelming to any new mom are made more manageable by the community found in the group.
Sundyna’s vision was made possible with the support of the Stork Fund at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The Stork Fund aims to help ensure that healthy new mothers and their babies have high quality and continuity of care by supporting programs like Strong Moms. These types of programs are essential for the advancement in reproductive, neonatal, and maternal health. “Innovative thinkers like Sundyna and programs like Strong Moms at the Dorchester House are important for not only the health of families, but also the overall health of the community,” says Wanda McClain, Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “By helping to ensure a healthy start for both a mother and child, we help to ensure a healthy future generation.”
