Health outreach workers bring services to Philly laundromats as Pa. leaders look to improve maternal outcomes

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Inside the Laundry Café on Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia, it was loud and busy as people bustled around with carts to move piles of clothes from washing machines to dryers to folding tables.

“The sounds of the laundromat are kids playing, music, people chitchatting and machines tumbling,” said Olivia Pecora. “And then Fabric Health talking about how we can get you care coordination. We’re part of the sounds of the laundromat.”

Pecora, an operations specialist with Fabric Health, donned a bright yellow polo shirt and carried a laptop as she and a team of outreach workers approached people while they waited for their wash cycles to finish.

“Some of the things that we help with is to recertify people for Medicaid. We also do care coordination,” Pecora said. “So, supporting people in getting preventative care appointments, pediatric appointments, [obstetrics] appointments.”

Fabric Health originally launched in Philadelphia in 2021. Now based in Washington, D.C., and operating in multiple cities, the company’s mission is to help connect people to health care and other social services by going to places like laundromats, where people are already spending their time.

It falls in line with efforts at the state level to reduce rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality in Pennsylvania by improving access to health care, food assistance, transportation and other social services for women and families.

At the same time, federal funding cuts and resources dedicated to these issues and programs have already been cut, eliminated or remain at risk.

“We’re hoping to educate Pennsylvanians so that they understand how critical these programs are to the health of moms and new parents and birthing individuals,” said Secretary of Human Services Valerie Arkoosh. “And that they’ll be willing to stand up and say, ‘We need to protect these programs.’”

A common challenge that families face in accessing health care and other support is a lack of time to navigate an overly complex system of social services, Pecora said.

Fabric Health outreach workers are often busy helping people recertify their Medicaid insurance coverage, which covers between 30% to 40% of all births across the commonwealth, according to state data.

Experts also help people enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or apply for help in paying their energy bills under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The next step is teaching people how to use their benefits. Pecora said that includes educating people about the importance of getting annual physicals, preventative health care and prenatal care.

“Something that we are really focused on is getting mom or expecting mom the care that she needs early and even when she’s not sick,” she said.

Multiple Pennsylvania departments, including Human Services, Health, Drug and Alcohol Programs and Insurance, have collaborated to address these kinds of issues in the state’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan.

The collaboration is focused on preventing maternal mortality and looking for new ways to connect people to services in their communities. State leaders are holding listening sessions and roundtables to get input from residents.

At another recent event in Philadelphia at a Fabric Health participating laundromat, Arkoosh said parents and families spoke about long wait lists at doctors’ offices and challenges with transportation.

“They really struggle to get to doctor’s appointments, they struggle to get to grocery stores that sell fresh fruits and fresh vegetables,” she said. “Transportation in general is really challenging for people and so that is something that we’re taking a hard look at.”

Fabric Health outreach workers are regularly in laundromats across North Philadelphia. Pecora said they soon hope to expand to locations in South Philly.

“The bottom line is everybody, no matter what situation you’re in, needs support and needs to know more about what is available,” she said.