NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — More women these days are experiencing high-risk pregnancies, with conditions such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and advanced maternal age. Riverside Health OB-GYN and Service Line Chief for Obstetrics Dr. Keith King sees all that — and more.

“Patients these days have a lot of issues, a lot of problems with transportation, a lot of problems with finance, a lot of times having the ability to have family support,” he said.

Riverside’s new Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic is making specialized care more accessible for women on the Peninsula by reducing the need to travel across the water to Norfolk. The MFM practice is right next to the hospital on J Clyde Morris Blvd. in Newport News.

“So, opening this up will help us have that one-on-one continuity and where they don’t have to go outside and be stressed over so many appointments,” said MFM Practice Administrator Angela Mitchell.

Virginia, like the rest of the country, continues to face a maternal health crisis, with Black women being two-to-three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women.

Since opening two weeks ago, OB-GYNs have already referred about 80 women.

Along with diagnostic testing, they provide education, genetic counseling and social services.

“So, if they can’t get here, or their insurance doesn’t allow for a fast appointment, we can get rapid transportation for them,” Mitchell said.

There’s even a calming room with dim lights and the sound of trickling water for patients to sit in and decompress.

“For moms who are coming and maybe are getting some news that’s upsetting, it’s really important to have a place for them to go, especially if they don’t have a partner with them,” said MFM Practice Director Julianne Rowe.

It’s a higher level of support.

“And if you can provide the things that they need in their own community, in their backyard, it just makes it easier for them to be compliant,” King said.

And compliance can save lives.