MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Mon Health Medical Center Auxiliary presented a check of $160,000 to Vandalia Health’s Processing Through Postpartum, the P3 Program, on Thursday morning.
According to Mon Health one in five mothers and one in 10 partners experience a perinatal mood disorder such as depression and anxiety during pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth. The P3 Program, founded four years ago, offers free mental health support to patients.
A press release from Vandalia Health says the program also provides education, care coordination, breastfeeding assistance and connection to community resources throughout pregnancy and the first year postpartum.
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The auxiliary is a volunteer organization that raises money for the hospital who thought that the P3 Program was a worthy cause.
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“Most of us have had children, and the P3 wasn’t available at the time,” Auxiliary President Bethann Gamponia said. “I think it would have been really helpful to have had that program reach out.”
Senior Vice President of Vandalia Health Krystal Atkinson said, “It just has continued to grow, it’s grown from a couple of nurses, toa huger audience through utilization of technology. We have an app that supports this where it makes it a whole lot easier for patients that may not feel comfortable coming on site, but they realize they have an issue, and they have that ability to reach out for help.”
The auxiliary noted that insurance doesn’t usually cover postpartum mental health issues. Postpartum issues have been front of mind in Monongalia County with community members hosting Postpartum Support International’s “The Climb.”
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