Southwest Human Development Awarded $260,000 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant; Funding to Support Smooth Way Home Program

(PHOENIX – Dec. 6, 2024) – Mercy C.A.R.E.S. recently awarded Southwest Human Development a 2024 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant in the amount of $260,000. Mercy C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service, is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative. Through grant funding, sponsorships, volunteer efforts and board participation, Mercy C.A.R.E.S. supports AHCCCS’ Whole Person Care Initiative. The grant will provide funding for Smooth Way Home, a program that supports fragile infants and their families throughout Arizona as they transition from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and during their first few months at home. Currently, Smooth Way Home has partnerships with all 10 Level 3 NICUs in Maricopa County as well as Gila and Pinal counties. In addition, the program recently expanded statewide through telehealth.

“NICU families experience a crisis of social isolation, which can exacerbate the many challenges they face,” said Jake Adams, chief development officer of Southwest Human Development. “This grant will allow Southwest Human Development to support families to improve the social, developmental, and medical outcomes of very fragile infants and their families by enhancing the coordination of care.”

Research shows that for NICU mothers, social isolation is the strongest predictor of postpartum depression.

This isolation is not only emotional; NICU parents are also physically isolated from their traditional support systems as friends and family are typically not permitted to visit in the NICU. When the baby returns home, many parents have a heightened fear of exposing their infants to social situations due to risk of infection. This results in isolation at home and failure to receive needed services.

Through Smooth Way Home’s pre-discharge consultations, Community Resource Liaisons or Fragile Infant Specialists meet with families bedside to discuss any concerns they may have regarding the transition process; identify the social supports available to families as they return home; provide further information about community resources; and offer emotional support. As appropriate, families will also be screened for mental health needs using the Edinburgh Post-Partum Depression Screening (EPDS) and helped in connecting with mental health services.

“Smooth Way Home also facilitates referrals to the Arizona Early Intervention Program and provides Virtual Neonatal Support (VINES),” said Adams. “VINES is a partnership between Smooth Way Home and Desert Neonatal Associates that offers NICU parents’ online access to a neonatologist or neonatal nurse practitioner once they are discharged from the hospital, providing specialized support during a very vulnerable time for these families.”

Because working with fragile infants requires specialized knowledge in various areas such as feeding, positioning and handling, and other areas of development, professional development for pediatricians will also be funded through the grant.

“Infants who are born premature and/or medically fragile often have low birth weight, and can suffer from complex medical conditions,” said Trisha Stuart, Mercy Care director of community relations. “Through this grant, Mercy Care is focused on advancing health equity and helping families access the resources they need to transition from the NICU back home.”

About Mercy Care

Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Learn more at www.MercyCareAZ.org.

About Southwest Human Development

Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. Recognizing a child’s earliest experiences and relationships establish the foundation for all future development, Southwest Human Development’s programs focus on young children—ages birth to 5—and their families in the areas of child development, mental health, Easterseals disabilities services, Head Start, early literacy, family support and child welfare, and professional development and training. Founded in 1981, Southwest Human Development serves tens of thousands of children and families each year. Learn more at www.swhd.org.