Our
Purpose
Our
Mission
The Preeclampsia Project
The Preeclampsia Project began as an occupational therapy capstone project at the Medical University Of South Carolina (MUSC) to address the high rate of maternal mortality in Georgia and to improve maternal health outcomes. It has transformed into a partnership and training program for community based non-obstetric (non-OB) providers to educate maternity-age women regarding their risk for developing preeclampsia, how to modify their risk, how to safely monitor their symptoms, and to recognize urgent warning signs. The goals are to inform the role of the community-based provider in addressing maternal mortality and empower at risk women with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions. The state of Georgia is known as a “maternity healthcare desert” where over 100,000 maternity age women live in an area without obstetric providers or obstetric hospitals, resulting in poor maternal health outcomes.
Any provider who has contact with maternity age women has an important role in reducing maternal mortality by providing this information. As healthcare or community-based providers, we cannot allow another woman or baby to die simply because they did not have the knowledge they needed to know their risk. The project’s mission is to improve maternal outcomes for women who live in areas lacking access to maternity care, particularly during the 6 weeks postpartum, when the risk of maternal mortality is highest.
Empowering High-Risk Women With Knowledge And Skills To Make Informed Health Decisions
113 Women Died From Pregnancy-Related Complications In Georgia Between 2018-2020
PREECLAMPSIA
10 of the 113 pregnancy-related deaths were the result of preeclampsia
POST-PARTUM
80% of maternal deaths related to preeclampsia occurred during the postpartum period
MONITORING
Monitor for signs &symptoms, recognize urgent warning signs, & do not miss your post-partum appointments.
PARTNERSHIPS
Our partnerships include First Steps Georgia, who screen expectant mothers and primary caregivers; Georgia Home Visiting Program; Parents as Teachers, Georgia Early Intervention/Babies Can’t Wait; Women, Infant, and Children (WIC); and Healthy Start: Georgia Strong Families.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Because of our work, numerous pediatricians, early interventionists, pediatric therapists, emergency room physicians, pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants have been trained to understand their important role in addressing maternal mortality by providing education to at-risk patients.
About Us
Patricia is an occupational therapist with a diverse clinical background in a variety of settings and has over 10 years of experience in early intervention and perinatal health. She received her BS from University of Kentucky in 1994, attended the occupational therapy program at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in 1998, MS in Occupational Therapy in 2012, and will complete her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina in May of 2024.
She has advanced training and certification in sensory processing, autism spectrum disorders, emotional regulation, infant dysphagia, and complex premature infant interventions. Her passion is assisting families of high-risks infants with the transition home from the NICU setting, promoting neurodiversity, and understanding how differences in sensory processing impact development. Patricia also developed a community-based partnership called The Preeclampsia Project to address maternal mortality and racial inequities in the state of Georgia. She lives in Columbus, Georgia with her husband, John, their blended family, and their two dogs.
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Special acknowledgement and appreciation to my academic mentor
Dr. Angel Bryant for her continued support and encouragement!
Founder - Patricia Corbin, OTD(c), MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist