UUM1: Nursing Service Line Nursing Service Line Template
1
Nursing Service Line for Perinatal Care Coordination and High-Risk
Pregnancy Clinic
Deanna McGarrigle
Western Governors University
D030: Leadership and Management in Complex Healthcare Systems
Dr. Ron Carpio
August 2, 2026
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
,UUM1: Nursing Service Line Nursing Service Line Template
2
Service Line for Perinatal Care Coordination and High-Risk Pregnancy
Clinic
Proposed Nursing Service Idea
The greater New London Region in Connecticut has an identified need for expanded
maternal healthcare services. According to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (2025), prenatal and
maternal care were identified as a priority area that needed to be addressed through collaboration
with community organizations. As fewer providers offer specialized perinatal care, especially in
rural areas in the greater New London area, it makes it difficult for expectant mothers to receive
the care they need. Low birth weight is a significant indicator of a community's health and
correlates with poor health care during pregnancy (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). In
New London County, 8.7% of births were classified as low birthweight, which is higher than the
state of Connecticut's average of 8.0% and significantly higher than the national average of 7.1%
(Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, 2025, p. 59). This signals a need for advanced maternal care
that is affordable and accessible for the residents in this community.
To address this issue, I propose a nurse-led perinatal care coordination and high-risk
pregnancy clinic located in New London, Connecticut. This clinic would improve care for
pregnant patients by enhancing routine care and coordinating management of high-risk diagnoses
in pregnancy. Incorporating comprehensive, nurse-led care coordination throughout pregnancy
and into the postpartum period, especially for patients who have conditions such as chronic
hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental health disorders, and previous pregnancy complications.
In addition to routine monitoring, the clinic would also offer patient education, chronic disease
management, telehealth follow-up, referrals to community resources, and coordination with
obstetricians, behavioral health professionals, and social service agencies. The purpose of this
service line is to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by promoting early intervention
while reducing preventable complications in pregnancy.
Successful implementation of this service line requires strong nursing leadership and an
interdisciplinary approach to care. Implementing a transformational leadership style would be
essential to its success. Transformational leadership encompasses collaboration, innovation,
shared decision-making, and commitment to improving patient outcomes (American Nurses
Association [ANA], 2023). These leadership qualities can be applied directly within the service
line by coordinating care for high-risk patients with appropriate higher-level care providers and
ensuring clear communication to reduce fragmentation of care. The nurse leader must be
innovative and guide staff through this new care system by using critical thinking and shared
decision-making. The leader may need to incorporate conflict resolution during this stage
because the system is new, and staff members may have differing opinions on best practices and
implementation.
The clinic would utilize a diverse staffing model that reflects the complex needs of the
patient population. The team would consist of certified nurse-midwives who would provide
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
, UUM1: Nursing Service Line Nursing Service Line Template
3
comprehensive intrapartum and postpartum care for routine, low-risk patients. A women's health
nurse practitioner (WHNP) manages high-risk perinatal patients, and a team of registered nurses
conducts clinical assessments and provides patient education. Nurse care coordinators ensure
continuity of care by helping schedule appointments and monitoring high-risk patients after they
leave. Social workers can determine why a patient cannot access care and address those barriers.
Registered dieticians can offer nutritional counseling to patients with high-risk diagnoses such as
gestational diabetes. Lastly, administrative support staff will manage patient intake, records, and
clinic operations to support efficient workflows.
Importance
Between 2014 and 2024, the preterm birth rate increased from 9.2% to 9.8% (March of
Dimes, 2025). In 2024, 3,398 babies were born preterm in the state of Connecticut, ranking it
17th among the 50 states for this metric and earning it a rating of "C" according to the March of
Dimes (2025). As covered previously by WHO (2022), Low birth weight is a significant
indicator of a community's health and correlates with poor health care during pregnancy.
Compared to last year, New London County has seen an increase in its preterm birth rate, now
around 9.2% (March of Dimes, 2025). This data indicates the importance of perinatal care
coordination and high-risk pregnancy care in New London, Connecticut. As outlined in the
March of Dimes (2025), health conditions that make people more likely to have a preterm birth
are smoking, hypertension in pregnancy, unhealthy weight, and diabetes. By incorporating
perinatal care coordination and a high-risk pregnancy clinic, community members can receive
the support they need through close monitoring and care coordination to prevent avoidable
maternal and infant complications. Providing specialized nursing support throughout pregnancy
can help patients receive timely interventions, education, and the resources they need.
Currently, there are no dedicated perinatal care coordination and high-risk pregnancy care
clinics in New London, Connecticut. There are only segmented practices, usually catering to
specific aspects of pregnancy, such as diabetes management clinics or maternal-fetal medicine
offices, which focus on high-risk pregnancies. This clinic will bridge the gap in accessing care
by providing care for complex patient conditions in one location rather than having patients see
many specialists over the course of their pregnancy. This can help ensure patients continue their
care and reduce the rate of preterm births in the community, while increasing overall community
health in New London County.
Table 1: Market Analysis
Target Population Potential Referral Bases Potential Competitors
Pregnant individuals in New Lawrence + Memorial Hospital Lawrence + Memorial health clinics
London County Women and Children’s Services
Yale University health clinics
Local obstetric and gynecology
practices Hartford Healthcare health clinics
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
1
Nursing Service Line for Perinatal Care Coordination and High-Risk
Pregnancy Clinic
Deanna McGarrigle
Western Governors University
D030: Leadership and Management in Complex Healthcare Systems
Dr. Ron Carpio
August 2, 2026
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
,UUM1: Nursing Service Line Nursing Service Line Template
2
Service Line for Perinatal Care Coordination and High-Risk Pregnancy
Clinic
Proposed Nursing Service Idea
The greater New London Region in Connecticut has an identified need for expanded
maternal healthcare services. According to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (2025), prenatal and
maternal care were identified as a priority area that needed to be addressed through collaboration
with community organizations. As fewer providers offer specialized perinatal care, especially in
rural areas in the greater New London area, it makes it difficult for expectant mothers to receive
the care they need. Low birth weight is a significant indicator of a community's health and
correlates with poor health care during pregnancy (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). In
New London County, 8.7% of births were classified as low birthweight, which is higher than the
state of Connecticut's average of 8.0% and significantly higher than the national average of 7.1%
(Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, 2025, p. 59). This signals a need for advanced maternal care
that is affordable and accessible for the residents in this community.
To address this issue, I propose a nurse-led perinatal care coordination and high-risk
pregnancy clinic located in New London, Connecticut. This clinic would improve care for
pregnant patients by enhancing routine care and coordinating management of high-risk diagnoses
in pregnancy. Incorporating comprehensive, nurse-led care coordination throughout pregnancy
and into the postpartum period, especially for patients who have conditions such as chronic
hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental health disorders, and previous pregnancy complications.
In addition to routine monitoring, the clinic would also offer patient education, chronic disease
management, telehealth follow-up, referrals to community resources, and coordination with
obstetricians, behavioral health professionals, and social service agencies. The purpose of this
service line is to improve maternal and infant health outcomes by promoting early intervention
while reducing preventable complications in pregnancy.
Successful implementation of this service line requires strong nursing leadership and an
interdisciplinary approach to care. Implementing a transformational leadership style would be
essential to its success. Transformational leadership encompasses collaboration, innovation,
shared decision-making, and commitment to improving patient outcomes (American Nurses
Association [ANA], 2023). These leadership qualities can be applied directly within the service
line by coordinating care for high-risk patients with appropriate higher-level care providers and
ensuring clear communication to reduce fragmentation of care. The nurse leader must be
innovative and guide staff through this new care system by using critical thinking and shared
decision-making. The leader may need to incorporate conflict resolution during this stage
because the system is new, and staff members may have differing opinions on best practices and
implementation.
The clinic would utilize a diverse staffing model that reflects the complex needs of the
patient population. The team would consist of certified nurse-midwives who would provide
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
, UUM1: Nursing Service Line Nursing Service Line Template
3
comprehensive intrapartum and postpartum care for routine, low-risk patients. A women's health
nurse practitioner (WHNP) manages high-risk perinatal patients, and a team of registered nurses
conducts clinical assessments and provides patient education. Nurse care coordinators ensure
continuity of care by helping schedule appointments and monitoring high-risk patients after they
leave. Social workers can determine why a patient cannot access care and address those barriers.
Registered dieticians can offer nutritional counseling to patients with high-risk diagnoses such as
gestational diabetes. Lastly, administrative support staff will manage patient intake, records, and
clinic operations to support efficient workflows.
Importance
Between 2014 and 2024, the preterm birth rate increased from 9.2% to 9.8% (March of
Dimes, 2025). In 2024, 3,398 babies were born preterm in the state of Connecticut, ranking it
17th among the 50 states for this metric and earning it a rating of "C" according to the March of
Dimes (2025). As covered previously by WHO (2022), Low birth weight is a significant
indicator of a community's health and correlates with poor health care during pregnancy.
Compared to last year, New London County has seen an increase in its preterm birth rate, now
around 9.2% (March of Dimes, 2025). This data indicates the importance of perinatal care
coordination and high-risk pregnancy care in New London, Connecticut. As outlined in the
March of Dimes (2025), health conditions that make people more likely to have a preterm birth
are smoking, hypertension in pregnancy, unhealthy weight, and diabetes. By incorporating
perinatal care coordination and a high-risk pregnancy clinic, community members can receive
the support they need through close monitoring and care coordination to prevent avoidable
maternal and infant complications. Providing specialized nursing support throughout pregnancy
can help patients receive timely interventions, education, and the resources they need.
Currently, there are no dedicated perinatal care coordination and high-risk pregnancy care
clinics in New London, Connecticut. There are only segmented practices, usually catering to
specific aspects of pregnancy, such as diabetes management clinics or maternal-fetal medicine
offices, which focus on high-risk pregnancies. This clinic will bridge the gap in accessing care
by providing care for complex patient conditions in one location rather than having patients see
many specialists over the course of their pregnancy. This can help ensure patients continue their
care and reduce the rate of preterm births in the community, while increasing overall community
health in New London County.
Table 1: Market Analysis
Target Population Potential Referral Bases Potential Competitors
Pregnant individuals in New Lawrence + Memorial Hospital Lawrence + Memorial health clinics
London County Women and Children’s Services
Yale University health clinics
Local obstetric and gynecology
practices Hartford Healthcare health clinics
Last updated 7/30/24
Accessibility Review Completed and Approved for Distribution and Use.
Academic Product Management [VD - Based on review completed 07/22/24.]
