Wednesday, February 5, 2025
2/5/2025
The South Carolina Birth Defects Program’s (SCBDP) planned congenital heart defect (CHD) surveillance work will span the state of South Carolina for years 2008-2017 and will build upon a cohort of 5,500 cases of CHD already identified by the program from this time period. This application strategically coordinates data acquisition from key active and passive data sources across SC and utilizes multiple sources of data expertise to more fully describe economic impact, healthcare utilization, morbidity, mortality, and disparities among people impacted by CHD. This coordinated effort and commitment from key partners to collaborate will bring public-provider awareness of the burden of CHD, produce critical CHD prevention messaging, identify new ways to support families impacted by CHD, and contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding CHD. The program has received letters of support and commitments for collaboration from the state Vital Statistics Office, the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, the Medical University of South Carolina, Prisma Health in the Upstate (formerly Greenville Health System), Prisma Health in the Midlands (formerly Palmetto Health), and Greenwood Genetic Center. Additionally, South Carolina’s robust surveillance law (Title 44-44-10) allows the SCBDP to conduct surveillance of birth defects through any state medical institution and among any age group. Partnership with the Greenwood Genetic Center will position the program to enhance a population-based dataset on CHD with additional information on genetic comorbidities. This application will allow the SCBDP to achieve grant outcomes through strategic partnerships and enhancements of an existing surveillance system. The following outcomes will be achieved through this grant opportunity: 1. Surveillance infrastructure is created for enhanced CHD surveillance in SC 2. Diverse partnership collaborations are established which will result in comprehensive identification of cases and healthcare encounters to fulfill program goals 3. Improved knowledge on the characteristics of individuals identified from multiple high-quality data sources 4. Improved understanding of age-specific mortality 5. Improved understanding of healthcare utilization, comorbidities and other outcomes 6. Improved understanding of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic patterns in healthcare use and long-term outcomes 7. Improved understanding of the strengths and limitations of data sources for providing information about individuals with CHDs 8. Increased awareness among stakeholders of nationwide CHD issues
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).