Lucy Torres’ first child had been born months prematurely, so when she got pregnant again, she knew she was at risk of having another premature birth.

However, finding care was difficult. From her home in Orange, Texas, she looked for help from physicians and local clinics. She couldn’t find anyone willing to take Medicaid.

“I tried going in with (other providers) and they would not take me,” said Lucy, who eventually found Rhonda Dixon, a Certified Nurse-Midwife in the Beaumont area. “I was like, ‘I cannot find anyone to take care of my baby. They’re not taking new patients. I need to know that you are taking new patients because I need help.”

Not only did Rhonda give Lucy the help she needed, she went above and beyond to guide her to a full-term pregnancy.

“She was interested in my first pregnancy,” Lucy said. “She wanted to know everything. She felt like she was my best friend that I could count on.”

Lucy’s first child had come after only 25 weeks. While her son survived, premature babies face issues related to the underdevelopment of their lungs and other organs.

Lucy desperately wanted her next child to avoid those challenges. Still, only five months into her second pregnancy, she began feeling contractions.

Luckily, Rhonda, a Certified Nurse-Midwife was there to help her.

“During the whole pregnancy, we tried to keep that little girl in there for as long as we could,” Rhonda said. It included a long, intricate course of treatment that was meant to give her daughter the best chance to develop fully before birth. “She was always having contractions and going back and forth to the hospital, but we were able to keep her in as long as she could.”

Ultimately, Lucy’s second child was born at 35 weeks – still a touch early, but healthy and happy.

“Without Rhonda, I wouldn’t have had this baby in my arms right away and not in the NICU,” Lucy said.

When Lucy’s third pregnancy began, she quickly found her way back to Rhonda to help bring her third child as close to full-term as possible.

“She said, ‘Come on in,’ and she took me and took good care of me,” Lucy said.

The third child, daughter Maya, did arrive earlier than hoped, at 32 weeks, and had to spend some time in the NICU. But she was six pounds on arrival, thanks to Rhonda’s help.

“Another miracle,” Lucy said. “She did two miracles. And that’s why I am completely grateful for her.

“I needed the care and she was there.”

Lucy’s is just one of untold numbers of women whose lives have been enhanced, and whose children have been saved, by midwives and nurse practitioners.

And yet, Texas’ outdated regulatory system continues to make it one of the most difficult states in the country for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) like Rhonda. Lucy is one of many who knows first-hand what access to care can do for women across the state.

APRNs also play a critical role in bridging the gaps in care for Medicaid, as practices with APRNs are far more likely to see Medicaid and uninsured patients.

“Texas should make it easier for nurses to provide care for people like me,” Lucy said. “We need to have more people like Miss Rhonda.”