Linda Jablonski Honored for Work on Behalf of Mothers and Babies

GREENFIELD — Linda Jablonski, assistant nurse manager of the Birthplace at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, was recognized by MotherWoman with its 2016 Community Impact Award. This annual award honors an individual in the community who has worked to improve the lives of mothers and families in the region.

Jablonski has more than 30 years of experience in maternal/child health nursing. In addition to her work at Baystate Franklin, she serves as co-chair of the Franklin County Perinatal Support Coalition (along with Amy Olson from Clinical & Support Options at Baystate Franklin), a group she helped start with the team at the Birthplace, concerned providers in the community, and MotherWoman.

The goal of the coalition is to improve maternal mental healthcare at the community level, and it has had much success implementing universal post-partum depression screening for mothers, training hundreds of providers, and developing a referral network. It also integrates perinatal mental healthcare with trauma-informed and recovery programs to better support mothers with substance-use disorders. The coalition has become the standard for MotherWoman’s community-based perinatal support model, which is now being replicated statewide and has received national awards.

“It has been a privilege to serve alongside a community of physicians, nurse midwives, clinicians, nurses, licensed social workers, counselors, family-support workers, home visitors, peer mentors, and other professionals from over 20 organizations,” Jablonski said. “Together, we have worked to address barriers to care by decreasing stigma, implementing a comprehensive screening and referral program, conducting professional trainings, and fostering collaboration by breaking down silos.”