A Healthier Start for Every Family

Guided Beginnings re-imagines care for rural, high-risk pregnant individuals by ensuring equity, access, and compassion from pregnancy through the child’s first year.

We’re building more than a program. We’re building a community of care, connection, and hope.

Whether you’re expecting a baby or supporting someone who is, Guided Beginnings is here for you. Our team is ready to answer your questions, share resources, and help you enroll.

Get Started with Guided Beginnings. Serving Greenwood, Abbeville and Beyond.

Learn more. Call (864) 725-7870 or email accesshealth@selfregional.org

What is Guided Beginnings?

Guided Beginnings is a collaborative, community-based maternal health initiative supporting pregnant women and their families in Greenwood and Abbeville Counties, with plans to expand throughout the Lakelands region.

Launched to address long standing disparities in maternal and infant health—especially among Black and Latina women—the program tackles both clinical and social barriers to healthy pregnancies and births.

Led by AccessHealth Lakelands, Guided Beginnings brings together social service providers, health systems, and community organizations in a unified effort to create healthier beginnings for moms and babies.

Personalized, Patient-Centered Care

At the heart of Guided Beginnings is a tailored care coordination model that bridges prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric care.

Each participant is enrolled into one of two tracks based on a risk assessment:

Perinatal Low:

  • Monthly check-ins
  • Resource navigation
  • Health education

Perinatal High:

  • Bi-weekly support
  • Chronic disease management (e.g., diabetes, hypertension)
  • Social barrier support (housing, food, transport)
  • Access to home tools like blood pressure cuffs and glucometers

Transitions are seamless. Upon delivery, mothers move into the Postpartum Program, while babies enter the Guided Beginnings Baby Program—ensuring continued care and connection into early childhood.

Our care team is built on trust and connection.

Community Health Workers (CHWs), Social Workers (SWs) and nurses conduct outreach, screenings, and service navigation.

The EPIC health record system ensures all providers stay informed, creating a continuous and collaborative care journey.

Core Principles:

  • Respectful maternity care
  • Relationship-building and trust
  • Navigation and connection

Real Impact. Real Families.

At Guided Beginnings, success isn’t just a number—it’s a healthy mom, a safe birth, and a supported family.

Here’s how we know we’re making a difference:

We track progress that matters:

  • Moms getting prenatal care earlier
  • Fewer babies born too early or too small
  • More families attending postpartum visits
  • Better management of health issues like high blood pressure and diabetes
  • Healthier moms during and after pregnancy

We also look beyond the clinic:

  • Safer housing
  • Steadier access to food
  • Stronger support systems

By focusing on both health and everyday needs, Guided Beginnings builds a foundation that lasts far beyond birth. It supports families where they are and helps them grow strong together.