§ 2522 — Programs; powers of the commissioner

§ 2522. Programs; powers of the commissioner. In order to promote\ncomprehensive prenatal care, the commissioner is authorized to provide\nfunds, including the awarding of grants to not-for-profit\ncommunity-based organizations, local health departments, public\neducation organizations and such other organizations as may be\ndesignated by the commissioner, for public and provider education and\noutreach, home visiting, referral of pregnant women to prenatal care\nproviders, and improvement of regional systems of perinatal care. This\neducation, outreach, home visiting, referral and systems improvement may\ninclude, but is not limited to:\n (a) public education concerning availability of prenatal services;\n (b) promotion of community awareness of the benefits to the mother and\nchild of preconception health and early and continuous prenatal care;\n (c) outreach and direct recruitment of service recipients and\nproviders;\n (d) referrals and linkage to organizations providing assistance with\napplications for medical assistance and enrollment in Medicaid managed\ncare programs;\n (e) referrals and linkage with home visiting and other community\nservices;\n (e-1) health and nutritional education and services for both parents,\nregarding childhood and adult obesity and asthma, and the prevention or\nmitigation thereof;\n (f) follow-up of patient participation in prenatal care services;\n (g) identification of regional perinatal health care system barriers\nand limitations that lead to poor perinatal outcomes and development of\nstrategies to address such barriers and limitations;\n (h) coordination of service delivery by community-based organizations\namong health care providers and health plans using health information\ntechnology and uniform screening criteria for perinatal risk; and\n (i) promotion of training and continuing medical education\nopportunities in military cultural competency for providers of prenatal\ncare to veterans. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "veteran"\nshall have the same meaning as such term is defined in section one of\nthe veterans' services law and shall also include a veteran who has a\nqualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans'\nservices law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or\ndishonorable from such service, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as\ndefined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has received a\ndischarge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.\n