The coronavirus pandemic gripping the world is affecting some of the metropolitan Detroit area’s most vulnerable population – expectant mothers.
Wayne State University’s Office of Women’s Health and Make Your Date, a free program for expectant mothers, is asking for volunteers from the WSU community to join its 
COVID-19 Response Team.
Undergraduate students, staff, faculty and those not involved in essential on-site clinical work are especially encouraged to sign up by e-mailing info@makeyourdate.org with “COVID19 Response Team Volunteer” in the subject line. Include your name, address, phone number and some information about yourself in the body of the email. Volunteers are expected to call or email up to five women twice a week.
The program’s goal is to guarantee that pregnant mothers have the resources, information and support they need during this crisis.
“We’ve assembled resources for food, transportation, medical and mental health support, and even items for the baby. With our volunteers, we will stay in contact with these moms, by phone or online, to help them through the coronavirus scare,” said Office of Women’s Health Associate Vice President Sonia Hassan, M.D., who is a professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “We are confident that this effort will make a tremendous impact on an extremely vulnerable population at this time.”
In the last few weeks, many pregnant women have found themselves in a rare situation – missing regular obstetrical visits for fear of becoming exposed to the virus, concern over not having a birthing partner, dreading risks to their baby during or after giving birth, or staying isolated at home without food or supplies. Unlike some elective medical procedures that have been delayed for months, pregnancy and delivery can’t wait. In addition, hospital systems may not have the capacity to work with these vulnerable patients one-on-one.
Make Your Date team members found through interviewing women in the program that more than one-third of pregnant women need food assistance, 25% need help with baby items and 25% require transportation.
To assist in these needs, Make Your Date has established the COVID-19 Response Team. Volunteers will contact up to five women who have signed up to be connected to a volunteer. Expectant mothers will be contacted regularly throughout their pregnancy and after they deliver.
To be a part of the program, pregnant moms can sign up at www.makeyourdate.org, call 313-577-1000 or email info@makeyourdate.org. Any pregnant woman should keep any existing appointments with her current provider as this is not a medical or clinical service.
Previous research shows that coordinated prenatal care and targeted interventions, when necessary, can greatly reduce the risks of pregnancy and preterm birth.
Make your Date, a coalition of major medical institutions, universities, foundations, community groups and insurance companies, has built a caring and supportive team dedicated to turning the tide against preterm birth.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with Make Your Date. During this time when our communities are overwhelmed with the coronavirus priorities, we cannot forget our pregnant women and their needs. Make Your Date is addressing many of these needs by providing support, resources, food and someone to care. With the ‘stay-at-home’ directive, isolation and the inability to get out is creating real problems for pregnant women that could have lasting impacts on childbirth and the mother and infant,” said Vernice Anthony of the Southeast Michigan Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative.
“We can’t think of a better partner or a better voice to team up with during this pandemic than Make Your Date,” added Kara Hamilton-McGraw, director of Maternal-Child Health and Government Affairs for the March of Dimes. “They are committed to reducing the rate of preterm birth all year, and especially now. We are honored to have them fighting for these women and their children today, and always.”