Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health SIHF Healthcare 2041 Goose Lake Rd Sauget, IL 62201 Paula Brodie (618) 215-8148 pbrodie@sihf.org ABSTRACT The purpose of Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation (SIHF) Healthy Start is to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and reduce infant mortality and racial disparities in infant death and adverse perinatal outcomes among African Americans in the urban project area of St. Clair County and Madison County, IL. St. Clair and Madison counties are in southwestern Illinois, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri and 294 miles south of Chicago, IL. The 2019-2021 infant mortality rate for African Americans in the SIHF Healthy Start project area is 15.5 more than three times higher than White infant mortality rate (4.4) and more than double the national infant mortality rate (5.4). During the three-year period 2019 – 2021 low birth weight for African American infants in the project area was 12.8% compared to 6.7% low birth weight for white infants. Disparities are also reflected in early prenatal care with 80% of Whites beginning prenatal care in the first trimester while 65% of African Americans began care during the first trimester. Likewise, 79% of Whites in the project area had adequate prenatal care and only 63% of African Americans had adequate prenatal care. These indicators are evidence of the jarring disparities in infant mortality and perinatal health outcomes for African Americans in the project area and demonstrate the need for Healthy Start services. SIHF Healthy Start will achieve its purpose through implementation of direct and enabling services and convening a community consortium. Through a multi-pronged project plan SIHF Healthy Start will provide outreach, screening, referral, case management/care coordination, and linkage to clinical care services, behavioral health services, and social service resources. The program will also offer individual and group health education focused on pregnancy and postpartum health, interconception health, breastfeeding, alcohol, tobacco and substance use, infant health, infant care and safety, safe sleep, parenting, and child development. The program will address social determinants of health by connecting program participants with transportation, food assistance, housing assistance, childcare, and other social care resources. SIHF Healthcare Healthy Start will maintain an active community consortium comprised of Healthy Start participants, community members, and multi-sector local and state partners. The role of the consortium is to advise on Healthy Start program strategies, implementation of services, and inform project area residents of the program’s progress and achievement. The Healthy Start community consortium will develop an action plan to address social determinants of health and other factors that contribute to the project area’s infant mortality rate and perinatal disparities. Keywords: Healthy Start, infant mortality, low birth weight, African Americans, case management, prenatal, postpartum, infant deaths, disparities, health education, infant health, safe sleep, social determinants of health, community consortium, enabling services
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
