OKEECHOBEE –   Okeechobee Healthy Start Coalition and Treasure Coast Maternity Center are bringing a weekly mobile maternity clinic to Okeechobee County.

Beginning May 19, the MOM Mobile will provide prenatal and postpartum care services at the Okeechobee County Public Library every Tuesday.

The 38-foot mobile clinic is equipped to provide prenatal care services directly within the community and includes exam space, laboratory capabilities, radiology equipment, and educational resources for expectant and postpartum mothers.

Services will be available at no cost for eligible pregnant and postpartum residents. Staffers are fluent in English, Spanish, and Creole.

Andrea Medellin, of Healthy Start, said the MOM Mobile will accept appointments and walk-ins and will serve 6 to 10 clients per visit. Appointments for new clients take about one hour. Follow-up appointments take about 30 minutes. To schedule an appointment, call 772-410-4114.

The service is free, thanks to funding through Healthy Start and a $20,000 grant. The service is available to all expectant mothers in Okeechobee County, up to 33 weeks pregnant, even if they have not had previous prenatal care. They do not have to be Healthy Start clients. Medellin said those who are not currently Healthy Start clients will be offered other services such as doula visits and programs for new fathers, but there is no requirement to sign up.

“They do not have to be enrolled in Healthy Start,” said Medellin. “There are zero questions about income or their status."

While the MOM Mobile staff includes nurse practitioners and midwives, the midwives do not deliver the babies. Mothers are directed to area hospitals for delivery, and the MOM Mobile will provide the hospitals with the medical records.

Medellin said they have funding to cover 8 to 12 months, and during that time, they will seek more grants and conduct fundraising efforts to continue the service.

She explained that when Lakeshore Medical - Florida Community Health Center cut back on prenatal care availability from five days a week to one day a week, the Maternal Task Force looked for ways to help expectant mothers find prenatal care locally. She said many Okeechobee County residents do not have transportation to seek care on the coast. She said they obtained a grant to expand prenatal care at Lakeshore Medical from one day to two days a week. Adding the MOM Mobile visits provides a third day of service in Okeechobee County.

Medellin said Healthy Start would like to obtain a van and grant funding to provide transportation for pregnant women to their medical appointments.