Newsworthy

Becoming a parent is a lot like going to school. You’re learning new things, and sometimes you need help. That’s what Stormont Vail Health and Delivering Change: Healthy Families – Healthy Communities is here for. Delivering Change is the only program of its kind in the area offering resources for expecting, new, and existing parents.

What is Delivering Change?

Delivering Change is a non-profit located at Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills Campus in Junction City. Delivering Change was created by the Geary County Perinatal Coalition in 2011 with the goal of improving community health and well-being. In June of 2023, the Delivering Change team became official employees of Stormont Vail Health – demonstrating the organization’s commitment to the area by supporting a program that offers resources to improve the health and safety of our community. There are four team members with Delivering Change:

• Shanea Bea, Executive Director
• Alex Tyson, Fatherhood Coordinator
• Natalie Waldo, Navigator
• Andrea Zeiber, Universal Home Visitor

Delivering Change offers an incredible amount of resources, and each member of the Delivering Change team helps to assist with or provide the many services the program has available. The Delivering Change navigators provide the groundwork for their approach to women’s health, infant health, and breastfeeding.

From left: Alex Tyson, Shanea Bea, Natalie Waldo, and Andrea Zeiber

Navigators meet with moms and dads at the OB interview, and they can assist with KanCare, SNAP, and housing applications and participate in teaching the ‘Becoming a Mom’ course. The navigator works to make sure parents are in a healthy position for having and caring for their baby.

The fatherhood coordinator and president of Geared-Up Dads, a fatherhood coalition, spends time with fathers making sure any questions they may have are answered and helping prepare them to become valuable members of the co-parenting team. Lastly, the universal home visitors are the “boots on the ground.” They provide home lactation services and in-home car seat installation. These are only a fraction of the many services available to Delivering Change Clients.

Community Focused

When the Delivering Change team officially became part of Stormont Vail, it presented many advantages, one of which provides access to document and chart in the organization’s electronic record system, EPIC.

“With access to EPIC, we’re able to provide a heightened level of support and resources for new parents visiting Stormont Vail Health Flint Hills Campus,” said Natalie Waldo, Delivering Change Navigator. “We’re able to see the OB schedule, know what resources we can best help the patient with ahead of time, and if they are willing, put referrals in and assist with getting those new parent resources set up.”

Delivering Change can see Stormont Vail patients and patients receiving care at other healthcare facilities. Delivering Change has a four-pronged approach to women’s health, infant health, breastfeeding, and fatherhood that prioritizes community needs and health.

Another advantage of Delivering Change’s team becoming a part of Stormont Vail is that it creates greater access to hospital services and providers. The Delivering Change team can coordinate with inpatient case managers, OB providers, and pediatric providers for high-risk patients. In addition, this allows other Stormont Vail team members to better engage with Delivering Change and provide the quality support patients need. Even after pregnancy, there are resources that Delivering Change can assist you with. Especially first-time mothers; because of the support they provide, Delivering Change can continue to assist with resources even after patients have left the hospital.

Growing Resources for Growing Families

According to The March of Dimes, an average of 661 babies are born a week in Kansas. It also says, “There is a critical connection between infant health, maternal health and the health of a family.” That is why the services Delivering Change provides and applying their four-pronged approach to women’s health, infant health, breastfeeding, and fatherhood, are vital to the community.

Resources, just like healthcare, are a growing and ongoing need. As members of the community in the Junction City-Manhattan corridor, Stormont Vail takes pride in working to provide quality support and access to resources. With Delivering Change, Stormont Vail is working to lighten the load on growing families and make access to quality support, resources, and healthcare, the norm.

When you need help and are looking for resources, let Delivering Change at Stormont Vail give you a hand. If you would like to learn more about the services and resources Delivering Change provides, click here. To contact Delivering Change, call (785) 238-0300 or email [email protected].