Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) and HOPE for Georgia Moms will sponsor the “Bump & Beyond Maternal Health Fair” at Savannah Technical College’s Eckberg Auditorium on Saturday, March 9, from 9 a.m. -3 p.m. The event and parking are free.
Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition is a co-host. The college is located at 5717 White Bluff Road in Savannah.
Expectant and recently-delivered mothers and their families should bring their Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® paperwork with them to the event to get help with their eligibility checks. In addition, the fair is the perfect place for families to spend an afternoon taking advantage of free health services, fun activities, self-care and childcare samples, and giveaways, including:
* Free community-based services like mobile primary health care
* Important health information from experts on pregnancy and postpartum concerns
* Samples of products like diapers, wipes, and more
* Opportunities to connect with other parents to share experiences and advice
* Door prizes for maternity and newborn care and much more
According to the sponsors, approximately 56% of births in Georgia are covered by Medicaid, and many mothers delivered their babies during the pandemic when annual eligibility checks were paused for three years. The fair is intended to help increase awareness about and provide help for families now that the federal government has required states to resume Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® eligibility checks (a process called “redetermination”). These activities are an extension of DHS’ “Stay Informed. Stay Covered.” statewide public information campaign to engage and educate Medicaid/PeachCare for Kids® members about redetermination more broadly.
The Savannah “Bump & Beyond” event is the second of three maternal health fairs planned in Georgia. The first event will be held March 3 in Albany, and the final event will be held in North Georgia this spring.
The fairs are made possible through funding from HOPE for Georgia Moms, a Northeast Georgia Health System initiative funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HOPE seeks to connect resources and be action-oriented so that all moms thrive in Georgia. The partnership with DHS is the latest example of the “Stay Covered” campaign’s dedication to emphasizing local solutions, local outreach, and local impact.
“We are excited to partner with DHS and Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition on Savannah’s ‘Bump & Beyond Maternal Health Fair’ because we know pregnant and postpartum women so rarely put themselves first when it comes to their health,” said Heidi Ehrenreich, Project Director for HOPE for Georgia Moms. “The Bump & Beyond event is an opportunity to lift up and encourage mothers who have Medicaid; to offer them support and resources so they can stay informed and stay in control of their health care coverage.”
DHS and HOPE are working with co-host Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition on the event. Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is part of Georgia Family Connection Partnerships. CGIC serves as a convener at the regional, state, and national level to secure and provide technical assistance, best practices, and sustainability for the collective well-being of Chatham County.
“We’re thrilled to co-host this event to promote maternal health and share important information on Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® redetermination,” said CGIC Executive Director Lizann Roberts. “There’s no time like the present to take charge of your family’s health, and we’ll have experts on-site to get you moving in the right direction.”