Geisinger launches innovative program to screen postpartum depression
The program is compassionately designed to provide standardized postpartum depression screenings across a woman’s pregnancy journey — from Women’s Health to Pediatrics — empowering mothers to thrive physically, psychologically and socially.
“Every time a woman is seen by a provider, be it in Women’s Health or even when taking her children to the pediatrician, it is an opportunity to screen for depression, to educate her about it and to really engage her in treatment,” said Dr. Manuel Arreguin, director of Women's Health, Geisinger Northeast.
A mother’s mental well-being plays a key role in her child’s mental health, physical growth, and development. Moreover, COVID-19 has brought added stress and anxiety into everyone's lives. Women are now at an increased risk of developing postpartum depression.
“Our goal is a healthy family and that often starts at the heart of the family, the mother. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all mothers to be screened for postpartum depression. This gives us an opportunity to identify and support women with depression and has proven to increase the success of breastfeeding, bonding and the development of her baby,” said Dr. Michele Neff-Bulger, Geisinger pediatrics.
The program uses the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), a validated 10-item questionnaire most commonly used to screen for postpartum mood disorders. During prenatal appointments, moms will be screened during their initial obstetrician visit, at the 28-week and 34-week checkups, during the six-week postpartum visit and during the one-year postpartum checkup visit. The screening program expands to pediatric appointments, where mothers will be screened by a nurse in the exam room during the encounter as part of their child’s well-child visits from two weeks to 12 months.
Training sessions and toolkits are designed for physicians, midwives and nurse practitioners across the health system since March 2020 to help them identify symptoms of depression in pregnant and new moms. The program includes clinical decision support to ensure mothers get the care they need.
“Geisinger created this program to make care easier for women during one of the most thrilling, life-changing, and sometimes challenging times in their lives. This is an innovative approach to care delivery across the woman’s pregnancy journey: leveraging education, outreach and advanced informatics technology from Women’s Health to Pediatrics,” said Karen Murphy, Ph.D., Geisinger’s chief innovation officer and founding director of the Geisinger Steele Institute for Health Innovation.
Geisinger created an online pregnancy hub called MyPregnancy Center, which hosts tools and resources for women’s health, pregnancy, breastfeeding, postpartum depression and newborn care. Couples planning to start a family, first-time mothers or even experienced mothers can benefit from the wealth of information available on the site.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
