Given the current ratio of one public health nurse for every 18,000 poor persons, it is clear that more public health nurses are needed in Chicago to provide essential outreach to poor women and infants. Research shows that home visiting by public health nurses during the prenatal and postnatal periods can be very helpful. Public health nurses are the front line of the public health delivery system and their numbers should not be dependent on political whims. But an adequate number of public health nurses is just the first step. In Chicago, about 18 percent of women are uninsured, making the entry of at least that many poor pregnant women into timely, high-quality prenatal care difficult, if not impossible. Women on Medicaid and the uninsured often seek care from so-called "storefront providers" who may not provide appropriate referrals for high-risk prenatal care. If these women are lucky enough to seek care at the Chicago Department of Health, they will be referred to an appropriate center for delivery, but they often will have to "make their own arrangements" as to payment.