Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
Project Title: WV Healthy Start/HAPI Project Applicant: West Virginia University Research Corporation Address: P.O. Box 6845, 886 Chestnut Ridge Road, Morgantown, WV 26506-6845 Contact Person: Penny Womeldorff, Project Director Phone Number: (304) 680-3580, Fax Number: (304) 293-2131 Email Address: pwomeldorff@hsc.wvu.edu Website: https://medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/obstetrics-and-gynecology/west-virginia-healthy-starthapi-project/ HRSA-24-033: Healthy Start Initiative: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health Funding Request: $5,500,000 (Years 1-5) West Virginia’s population continues to be among the worst in the nation in terms of health indicators such as: diabetes rates, substance use disorders, obesity, depression, and smoking. Independently, these health risks have an adverse effect on the overall population; however, in conjunction with a pregnancy, they can produce devastating outcomes. Current data analysis from the WV Vital Statistics indicates that there is additional unmet need within 11 counties in the north central region of the state. The overall state IMR for 2019-2021 is 6.9. However, for our proposed eleven-county region, for all Medicaid births, the Infant Mortality Rate is 8.3 (41 Infant deaths), compared to the Non-Medicaid Infant Mortality Rate of 4.4 (Source: West Virginia Health Statistics Center, Vital Statistics System). The purpose of this project is to work collaboratively with existing systems, including our healthcare networks and systems and with Right From The Start (RFTS) to provide comprehensive services to those low income women, infants and families at highest risk. During the first twenty-two years of services, the WV Healthy Start/HAPI (Helping Appalachian Parents and Infants) Project has been able to develop a highly integrated service delivery system with the Title V/WV Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health (OMCFH) program, RFTS, as well as an extensive service network of other community providers including medical, dental, behavioral health, other home visitation programs and social service programs. Services for both programs are delivered by the same staff and maximize the use of state and federal resources without duplication of services. The proposed plan will continue to build on 22 years of success and will include: (a) Comprehensive assessment, health and parenting education, and case management/care coordination for at-risk Medicaid, low income or uninsured prenatal and postpartum/ interconceptional women, infants/children up to 18 months, and fathers/partners of Healthy Start participants/infants, (b) Group-based Prenatal care (Centering) and group based health and parenting education, (c) Outreach, recruitment and enrollment through an extensive established network of partners and staff, (d) Activities and strategies to retain enrollment in case management services and retain participation in group-based health and education activities, (e) Formal engagement of community participation and collaboration in the Community Consortium to address social determinants of health, service and resource gaps, and strengthen systems of care, and (f) A comprehensive plan for data collection and management, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
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).
