Bridging the Divide: Connecting Urban and Rural Care Through the Right! From the Start Initiative.

Disparities in health and barriers to healthcare are prominent in rural areas, particularly in the Delta region of Mississippi where high rates of premature births, infant mortality, low weight births, and maternal mortality exacerbate the dearth of access to care. Extending the reach of healthcare providers and services between urban and rural areas is of utmost importance in improving the landscape of maternal and child health. Community health workers (CHWs), trusted individuals in the community, play a valuable role in this through social support. This research note delineates the importance of community health workers as connectors in establishing a trusted continuum between the urban Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) setting and rural community health centers through the Right! From the Start NICU Breastfeeding Initiative in Mississippi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]