Nathan Hale, Associate Dean for Research for the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health and Research Director of the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) in Women’s Health, and Wondi Manalew, Research Assistant Professor were recently awarded a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau to examine postpartum screening for diabetes and primary care transitions among mothers experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Doctors Hale and Manalew will be working with colleagues from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to examine differences in postpartum screening for diabetes and transitions to primary care following delivery among rural and urban mothers.
“We know that about half of mothers experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy go on to develop Type 2 diabetes. Screening for diabetes postpartum and transitioning to a primary care are very important for optimizing the health of women long-term,” said Dr. Hale. “Unfortunately, many mothers do not make transition we know very little about how this might be different in rural communities that have historically experienced gaps in primary care.”
The project will use national Medicaid claims data to examine the rate of screening and transitioning to primary care across various time horizons during a 12-month period.
“State Medicaid coverage policies have shifted nationally and this study will help us better understand how changes in insurance coverage influence the continuity of postpartum care for income sensitive mothers,” said Dr. Manalew. “I am excited about the opportunity to work with colleagues to answer these questions that will inform policy and program discussions in the future.”