HealthyStart Prenatal Service

Giving Babies a HealthyStart In Life

HealthyStart Prenatal Service is a cooperative program involving Deschutes County, St. Charles Medical Center and the obstetricians of East Cascade Women's Clinic.

HealthyStart gives medical care to low-income pregnant women and teens who do not have insurance. The care is done by a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), women's healthcare nurse practitioner, and registered nurses with consultation by local obstetricians.

Healthy Start Prenatal Services is a beneficiary of Deschutes United Way of Central Oregon.

We provide a "one-stop shopping" approach by offering:

• Physical prenatal exams
• Routine prenatal lab work
• Prenatal education
• Delivery at St. Charles Family Birthing Center
• WIC certification and nutrition counseling
• Free childbirth preparation classes
• Spanish translation for clinic appointments
• Help getting the Oregon Health Plan medical insurance
• Home visits
• A library of videos and books on prenatal care and parenting
• Family planning education and services
• Referral to other community agencies

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

Answer: A nurse-midwife is a Registered Nurse who has completed advanced education in order to specialize in women's health care. CNM's must pass a national certification examination, and also meet strict requirements set by state health agencies to be able to practice.

Most CNM's work in hospitals or birthing centers. They attend women during labor and delivery and are trained and experienced in prenatal, postpartum, and normal newborn care as well as routine gynecological care.

CNM's continue the family-oriented, safe, personalized and thorough health care that gives healthy women healthy babies. As primary care providers they are in an ideal position to consult with physicians when problems occur that may put a pregnant woman at risk.

Location
The HealthyStart Clinic is located in the Health Department, and is open for appointments Tuesday and Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.

Fees
The fee for services is approximately half of what a private clinic charges for prenatal care. The actual cost is determined by a sliding scale which discounts the total fee based on the client's gross family income (before taxes). Clients are billed monthly based on what the family budget can afford. No one will be refused service based on ability to pay.