FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Aug. 1, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In an innovative effort to make it easier for clients of the Pee Dee’s Postpartum Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) telehealth service to sign consent forms for care, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) last week launched a new pilot program that allows clients to sign electronically.

“Previously, we mailed the documents to clients and relied on them to open the letter, fill out and sign the form and mail it back to us using a self-addressed, stamped envelope,” said Marie Bass, Maternal and Child Health Program Manager. “We  received less than 10 percent of the forms in return.

“The process was both burdensome on busy families with newborns and costly for the agency,” Bass continued. “Now,  the client receives the document via email or text, signs it and it comes right back to us. The whole process takes less than five minutes, is secure and meets all HIPAA guidelines .” 

Postpartum newborn home visits are a service for new moms and their babies within the first 14 days of discharge from the hospital to help reduce the fears and questions that can come with bringing a child home for the first time. PPNBHV are provided at no cost to the families and are intended to get new parents and babies off to a healthy start.

Nurses trained in newborn care will weigh the baby and give mom and baby both an overall wellness checkup to ensure good health. The nurses offer a wide array of services and resources, including everything from assisting in scheduling appointments to providing education on the signs and symptoms of illness to look for.

To learn more about the Postpartum Newborn Home Visit program, visit PPNBHV online or call  (843) 992-9937.

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About DHEC’s Pee Dee Region
This region serves residents of Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Marlboro Marion, Sumter, and Williamsburg counties.