In rural Maine, where long drives down dirt roads, harsh winters, and limited transportation can turn a simple doctor's visit into a major ordeal—especially for new mothers with newborns—access to timely postpartum care has long been a challenge. Postpartum hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a dangerous spike in blood pressure after childbirth that affects many women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy or developed it afterward. Without close monitoring, it can lead to emergency room visits, hospital admissions, or worse.
As we recognize American Heart Month in February, Northern Light Health is addressing this gap head-on through an innovative remote patient monitoring program funded by the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) grant. This federal initiative aims to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in underserved areas by enhancing access to obstetrics care across Maine.
RMOMS targets high-risk postpartum women with a history of hypertension during pregnancy or chronic hypertension. Eligible patients receive a Bluetooth-enabled wireless blood pressure cuff and instructions to download a user-friendly app on their smartphones. Before discharge from the hospital, staff educate the new moms on taking accurate readings, what the numbers mean, and how the data flows securely to their care team.
Readings are transmitted automatically and monitored daily by a dedicated team, including nurses and clinicians trained on the workflow. If a reading is elevated, the team intervenes immediately, adjusting medications, advising on next steps, or directing the patient to labor and delivery or their OB/GYN. This eliminates the need for a trip to the Emergency Department and/or frequent in-person healthcare visits during the critical six-week postpartum period, when new mothers are often exhausted and juggling newborn care or live in rural areas where transportation to can be an issue.
"This program is a game-changer for our rural patients," says Jenna Jordan, RN-BSN, COS-C, clinical manager, Telehealth Services at Northern Light Home Care & Hospice. "It bridges the gap created by long distances and harsh weather, allowing us to monitor and intervene in real time without requiring exhausting trips to the clinic."
Started two years ago at a smaller Northern Light hospital, RMOMS has expanded to Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland, with a long-term goal of offering the service to new and expectant mothers across the Northern Light Health system including Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth, AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle, and Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
Early results have been promising. In one instance, the program identified high blood pressure readings in real time for a patient, allowing quick interventions that prevented an Emergency Department visit and hospital admission. Another case involved a patient whose elevated readings were caught at home, enabling medication adjustments before symptoms worsened.
"We've seen firsthand how catching elevated readings early at home can prevent crises," says Tina Andrews, BSN, RN, RNC-EFM, perinatal safety specialist, Northern Light Mercy Hospital. "For example, adjusting medications, like nifedipine for patients who respond better to it, has kept several from needing hospital admissions, especially among our diverse, new Mainer community."
The program relies on grant funding, which was recently replenished. Northern Light Health is actively working on processes related to insurance to make the service reimbursable and permanent. Once resolved, the goal is system-wide availability across all Northern Light hospitals and managed through Northern Light Home Care & Hospice, potentially expanding to benefit even more rural communities. Patients don't self-refer; providers identify and enroll eligible women automatically after delivery. If you're a postpartum patient with hypertension concerns, speak with your OB/GYN or birthing unit team about this life-changing support.
As Northern Light Health scales the program across its system and beyond, RMOMS is poised to become a model for rural maternal care, ensuring that no new mother falls through the cracks due to distance or circumstance, and reinforcing Northern Light Health's brand promise to make healthcare work for the people of Maine.
Visit us at northernlighthealth.org/hearthealth