An Update from our Maternal-Child Health Team

You may have started to see notices on Facebook and in your local Front Porch Forum email newsletter about CVHHH’s Poker Run & Raffle for Central Vermont Families. This is a new fundraising event, which takes place on Saturday, September 18 in Montpelier, and all proceeds raised will benefit our Maternal-Child Health (MCH) program.

When Central Vermonters hear the acronym CVHHH, they often think about our home care and hospice programs. Many of you reading this likely have family members or close friends who benefited directly from these services. Did you know that CVHHH also offers a full spectrum of medical and non-medical supports at home for mothers, children, and families?

The unofficial motto of CVHHH’s maternal-child health team of six nurses is that every mother deserves to have the best pregnancy, birth, and parenting experience possible. The nurses believe equally that every child is entitled to the care, education, and support they need to thrive. These ideas drive the team, which delivers personalized one-on-one care at home to over 300 pre- and postpartum women and children every year.

Katy Leffel, RN, IBCLC, oversees CVHHH’s Maternal-Child Health team. She has worked in the field for nine years and is a passionate advocate for families. “I want to make sure that every family gets off to a good start, whether that’s through receiving breastfeeding support, general parenting education, or well-child care at home. I believe that promoting healthy families benefits our entire society and that it’s important work.”

When the pandemic hit, Katy and her team stayed in regular contact MCH clients and their families to ensure that their needs, including those beyond the traditional medical sphere, were met. Katy spearheaded CVHHH’s participation in the Vermont Everyone Eats program, and our organization delivered over 10,000 meals to Central Vermonters in 2020 and 2021. In addition, Katy and her team brought diapers, formula, and other supplies to clients and supported COVID-19 testing and vaccines in the community and among MCH clients.

Katy and all CVHHH’s Maternal-Child Health nurses understand that every family’s circumstances are unique. This is why CVHHH provides a range of services, from medical assessments and skilled nursing care to lactation education and support seven days a week, and child and parenting skills education, to promote the health and wellness of families.

We know that early intervention for families, especially for mothers and babies, has a direct, positive impact long into a person’s life. The next time you see a poster or an ad about the Poker Run & Raffle in September, consider supporting the event as a sponsor, rider, or by buying a raffle ticket. The raffle prize is a big one – a 2021 Harley Davidson and the continued availability of valuable Maternal-Child Health services for all who need them in our community.

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