Eskenazi Health is a champion of Goodwill’s NFP, evidenced by the fact that they made 851 referrals in 2017! Our partnership complements their own Healthy Families initiative, a free, community-based program that supports Marion County families with newborns.

Donna Burks, Associate Chief Nursing Officer, is instrumental in making sure all eligible women are offered the opportunity to have their own personal nurse.

She’s a 25-year veteran with Eskenazi Health, with the majority of that time working in various OB/GYN positions—labor and delivery, public health nursing and prenatal care coordination as a home visitor. She’s a big fan of in-home nursing programs and especially Nurse-Family Partnership^®. Thank you to Eskenazi Health and to Donna Burks for being so supportive of Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership!

Are nurse home visiting programs an important part of prenatal care?

“Meeting the patient ‘where they are’ is instrumental in patient-centered care. What better place than in the home? You’re able to construct a comprehensive plan of care because you’re able to view the patient’s support system, living environment, neighborhood resources, and more.”

What value does NFP bring to Eskenazi Health’s continuum of care?

“A lot of the focus of care is directed toward high- and rising-risk pregnant clients. NFP is able to focus on preventative care, as well as assisting with the group mentioned above.

“In 1993—when I first stood at the bedside of a mother who was in need of support in so many areas (housing, clothing, resources for the baby, education, employment)—I would often leave my shift wondering: ‘What could be done to ensure that this mother has everything she needs to take care of herself and her baby? What could we do as a community to prepare a woman for what should be one of the happiest moments of her life, but she’s faced with worries about the future?’

“Several programs meet the needs of moms and babies for the pregnancy and postpartum care. But NFP goes one step further. It meets the needs of vulnerable mothers who want to learn how to provide for themselves and their families.

“This NFP implementation is so unique because it has the added benefit of the Goodwill infrastructure. This bolsters NFP because Goodwill’s mission is about empowering people to become self-sufficient. Nurse home visitors are prepared to help moms gain access to education, find better jobs, navigate the maze of government to access services, and so forth. And this program is the answer to that question I asked myself in 1993: ‘What could be done to assure that this mother has everything she needs to take care of herself and her baby?’ The answer: Goodwill’s Nurse-Family Partnership.”