Lancaster residents can attend free baby shower Friday

Molina Healthcare and The Women’s Enrichment Center have partnered to host a free baby shower Friday for new mothers and expecting mothers from the Lancaster area.

The Long Beach, Calif-based health insurer teamed up with the women’s center after recognizing a need for prenatal education in the area.

Dr. Delores Baker, Molina’s medical director, said many people do not see what Molina does other than being an insurance company but that a significant part of their mission is community outreach.

“We chose them (the Women’s Enrichment Center) because their mission is similar to ours, to make sure patients get the health care they need,” Baker said.

The event is intended to create awareness about the importance of prenatal care, including reducing infant mortality rates. In 2013, there were 56,743 births in South Carolina and the state saw an infant mortality rate of 6.9 percent.

Moms will receive a free diaper bag filled with baby products. Molina will provide educational resources on topics such as breastfeeding and postpartum care.

Molina has a prenatal care coordinating team that does outreach to members individually.

“We give them a call to make sure they have their prenatal care set up as soon as possible,” Baker said.

The coordinating team looks for needs other than health care including needs within the home like good sleeping conditions and offers rewards to women who set up all of their prenatal care plans. From 2008 to 2010, the proportion of women who started prenatal care in their first trimester rose 20.2 percent in South Carolina.

The baby shower will be held at the Women’s Enrichment Center, 720 S. Main St., in Lancaster, from 10 a.m. to noon and is open to the public.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Lancaster residents can attend free baby shower Friday."