Free or low-cost healthcare for expectant mothers in Harris County & beyond

HOUSTON (Fox 26) - One in five women in Harris County had a condition that put their health at risk during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, according to a recent report by the Houston Endowment. Non-profit community health centers are working to help mothers access healthcare services in Harris County and beyond.

“It’s been a heightened subject for us in Harris County, really looking at how we can address that,” said Marcie Mir, chief executive officer of El Centro del Corazón.

For more than a decade, El Centro del Corazón inside the Magnolia Health Center in southeast Houston has provided comprehensive health services for women regardless of income, health insurance or legal status in the U.S.

In the last two years, the center has implemented a new program called Centering Pregnancy.

“It’s like a support group, and especially with the Hispanic community, we have found that type of bonding really helps with just overall health,” added Mir.

The program brings together a group of women who have the same doctor. They meet for informational sessions and connect with other mothers.

Mir said it helps mitigate depression and anxiety that mothers how live in low-income and socially-isolated communities may feel.

In Fort Bend County, Access Health is working to help reduce the number of high-risk pregnancies.

“We’ve started having baby showers for our patients,” said Dr. Adeola Atilade, a physician with Access Health. "We have outreach programs in schools."

The organization serves anyone at its four locations in Richmond, Missouri City, Stafford and Brookshire. Anyone who lives outside Fort Bend County can also access their services.  

Dr. Atilade said the women she sees with complications during pregnancy or childbirth often wait too long to get prenatal care.

“They have problems with nutrition, with growth," explained Dr. Atilade. "Sometimes they have infections which can affect the baby as well as the mother.”

For more information on El Centro del Corazón, visit www.elcentrodecorazon.org. For a list of all Access Health Services and locations, visit www.myaccesshealth.org.

Harris County Public Health also provides references to maternal healthcare services at its eleven WIC sites. For more information, click here.