A new East Dallas clinic aims to help pregnant women with affordable prenatal care as advocates say Texas is in a maternal health crisis.

On Tuesday officials celebrated the opening of the new maternal medical clinic at nonprofit Hope Cottage, CeCe’s Place, which will provide low-cost services to those expecting.

“Our goal is to create a loving and supportive environment where women can easily access the services they need to have healthy pregnancies and give their children strong starts in life,” said Stephanie Bohan, chief executive officer of Hope Cottage.

Texas ranks 49th in the nation for women’s health, according to a study from the Commonwealth Fund. Thirty percent of women received no early prenatal care in the first trimester, putting Texas last on this measure.

Services offered at CeCe’s Place include pregnancy testing and Medicaid enrollment, as well as prenatal and postnatal care. Meanwhile, Hope Cottage provides parenting education, case management and referral to community resources during and after pregnancy, as well as adoption information and counseling.

Women served at the clinic will be referred to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas for labor and delivery. Then after delivery, HHM Health will continue to care for the mothers and babies through CeCe’s Place and other sites.

“Our goal is to create a loving and supportive environment where women can easily access the services they need to have healthy pregnancies and give their children strong starts in life,” Bohan said.

CeCe’s Place operates through a partnership between Hope Cottage and HHM Health, a federally qualified health center and nonprofit that provides cost-efficient medical services.

Funded by a $2 million gift from The George and Fay Young Foundation, the clinic is named after the Youngs’ late daughter, Carol Young Marvin, whom they adopted through Hope Cottage.

Hope Cottage focuses efforts on adoption, foster care, education and parenting support. It was founded in 1918 in response to the Spanish Flu and World War I, which left many babies and infants without parents.

About 90% of maternal deaths in Texas may have been preventable, according to the 2022 Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee report, which recommends increasing access to health services during pregnancy to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

“So many of our patients are part of vulnerable communities, lack sufficient resources and often don’t know where to turn,” said Brian Hawkins, chief executive officer at HHM Health. “We have made a commitment to continue to step up and be that resource for women in Dallas. Partnering with Hope Cottage allows us to reach more mothers and help them deliver safely.”

Birth rates have increased by 5.1% in just one year following Texas’ outlawing of abortion in 2021 and the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Bohan said.

“So if we’re going to have more live births, we’re going to continue to have more live births, so let’s keep women alive,” Bohan said.

Women of color and those in lower-income communities who lack preventative medicine and access to healthy food have higher death rates than their wealthier peers, according to local health data.

“Another big thing that kills women during pregnancy at a higher rate is domestic violence issues or stressors in the home or unhealthy relationships,” Bohan said.

CeCe’s Place is at Hope Cottage’s location at 609 Texas St. in the Wilson District, adjacent to Deep Ellum and downtown Dallas.

Prenatal care appointments at CeCe’s Place can be made by calling 972-354-8713 or emailing info@cecesplace.org.

The clinic is open Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with plans to expand operation based on demand. HHM Health accepts Medicaid and a number of private health insurance plans.