ABSTRACTMARIAMA T. FOH. Development of a patient navigator training protocol to promote timely approval for pregnant African American women seeking pregnancy Medicaid coverage prior to 14 weeks’ gestation. (Under the direction of Dr. DEE BALDWIN)Pregnant women residing in North Carolina are at risk of delayed prenatal care associated with the application verification process for Medicaid maternity benefits. This project explored the use of a Patient Navigator Training protocol to assist pregnant African American women in Guilford County with the application completion process for Pregnancy Medicaid, thereby enabling timely access to prenatal care. The project design was an exploratory, descriptive study utilizing mixed methods of analysis. Participants included nineteen subjects, six Obstetric case managers, seven Medicaid eligibility caseworkers, and six pregnant African American women patients. Data were analyzed to inform the development of a Patient Navigator Training protocol to guide the Navigator and other clinicians to help patients complete the required processes for the Medicaid application and verification approval process. Collectively, qualitative data indicated common themes of communication, time management and system problems. Caseworkers’ loads did not permit time to communicate with obstetric case managers or pregnant women due to heavy caseloads. Moreover, pregnant women experienced long wait times, lack of return calls, and unanswered phone calls. Data were used to develop a Medicaid verification training protocol to enable faster processing and enhanced communication, which was validated by an advisory committee. Findings revealed the researcher-developed Patient Navigator Training protocol has the potential to significantly augment Guilford County’s ongoing efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes by ensuring timely access to prenatal care. Findings also underscored the need for a patient navigator to bridge the communication gaps between the patients, eligibility caseworkers, and obstetric case managers.