The South Carolina Partners for Preterm Birth Prevention is an innovative public/private partnership whose mission is to prevent preterm birth, its health consequences and cost, among Medicaid recipients in the Lowcountry Perinatal Region of South Carolina. 

This mission will be achieved through the collaboration of the obstetrical providers of Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Georgetown, Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties, the maternal-fetal medicine specialists at a publicly supported academic medical center, South Carolina DHHS and DHEC, the March of Dimes, Decision Dynamics, Inc and Matria Healthcare, one of America’s premier home health care companies.

We will attempt to reach medicaid recipients of the Lowcountry as early in pregnancy as possible.  These women will undergo a detailed preterm birth risk assessment.   Those identified as high risk for preterm birth will be enrolled in an indication specific proactive care management protocol in collaboration with her primary obstetrical care provider.  These care management protocols are designed to reduce the frequency of preterm birth, very low birth weight delivery, NICU admission, costs associated with newborn health problems and the long term costs associated with physical and neurodevelopmental disability, societal costs secondary to lost productivity, special education, and the human suffering associated with prematurity.