Maternity Care Task Force: Why it Matters in Okeechobee
Many families in Okeechobee face barriers that can affect a healthy pregnancy and a strong start in life.
LIMITED MATERNITY CARE
Local access to prenatal and maternity care remains limited
TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS
Reaching appointments and services can be difficult for many families.
CONTINUED NEED FOR SUPPORT
Families benefit from early care, education, and connections to local resources.
From Challenge to Community Action
Protecting Access to Prenatal Care in Okeechobee
When Healthy Start learned that our sole local prenatal care clinic would need to reduce its services, we knew the impact on expectant families would be significant. Limited prenatal care options, transportation barriers, and the need to travel outside the county already make accessing care difficult for many families. Rather than allowing those barriers to grow, we brought community and state partners together to act.
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Response to Long-Term Solutions
Bringing Partners Together
From November through March, the Maternal Health Task Force held 5 in-person sessions focused on identifying gaps in care, coordinating resources, and developing both immediate and long-term solutions. The Task Force brought together leaders from local and state government, public safety, prenatal providers, healthcare, child and family services, philanthropy, managed care, and regional Healthy Start Coalitions—united by one goal: ensuring that pregnant women in Okeechobee can receive the care they need.
Turning Partnership into Progress
The Task Force moved beyond conversation and began putting solutions into place immediately.
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Established MOMitor by UF Health Shands, providing telehealth maternal health services.
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Brought the MOM Mobile Prenatal Care bus to Okeechobee.
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Expanded Prenatal Clinic operations to two days per week for one year through September 2026.
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Began researching a coordinated transportation program for verified medical appointments when appropriate care is not available locally.
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Initiated conversations with regional hospitals, specialists, and delivery providers to strengthen referral pathways and build a more connected system of maternal care.
Building a Sustainable System
While these accomplishments represent major progress, the work continues. Long-term priorities include:
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Recruiting and retaining prenatal providers
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Expanding prenatal care capacity
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Strengthening regional hospital and specialty partnerships
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Identifying sustainable public, private, philanthropic, reimbursement, and in-kind funding
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