Postpartum care center: follow-up care in a hospital-based clinic.

Because of ever-decreasing lengths of maternity stays and the emphasis on reducing health-care costs, there is a need for innovative, low-cost postpartum follow-up programs. The Postpartum Care Center, begun in 1991, is a model program that provides early postpartum assessment and support to mothers, infants, and their families for one third the cost of a home visit. This article reviews program development, description of services, and program outcomes.