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Due What’s Best: March of Dimes Georgia Chapter awards grant to Southwest Health District for “CenteringPregnancy®” project
26-May-09 |
A proposal by Southwest Health District to implement an innovative “CenteringPregnancy”® healthcare model – designed to reduce racial disparities in birth weights, premature births, infant deaths and adequacy of prenatal care – has received half of a $50,000 grant from the March of Dimes to fund Year 1 of a three-year grant.
“We are proud that our proposal for `Due What’s Best’ was one of only four projects the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter selected to receive community grants for this funding cycle,” said Southwest Health District Health Director Dr. Jacqueline Grant.
“Using this grant, we will be the first Public Health Department to offer the prenatal care model known as CenteringPregnancy® in Georgia. CenteringPregnancy® is group prenatal care that bundles health assessment and education together for women whose babies are due at close to the same time,” Grant said. “Nationwide, there are approximately 60 CenteringPregnancy® group care programs in operation. Many of them, like ours, received start-up funding from the March of Dimes.”
“We are delighted to award this grant to Southwest Health District for CenteringPregnancy®,” said March of Dimes Georgia Chapter Board Chair Gannon Gingrey Manning. “In Georgia, more than 400 babies each week are born too small, too soon. The medical costs of just one premature baby could cover that of a dozen healthy, full-term babies. Working together (with Southwest Health District), we can help more women have full-term pregnancies and healthy birth outcomes.”
“Due What’s Best” will empower and mobilize African-American women of childbearing age to adopt healthier behaviors before, during and after pregnancy, Grant said. “Our program will guide them through proactive steps to reduce the risk of prematurity, low birth weight births and infant mortality.”
The wide disparity in birth outcomes in the region is a significant healthcare concern. In 2006, the District’s African-American Infant mortality rate was 15.2 – more than triple the rate for Caucasians (4.7). The 2008 Georgia Health Disparities Report noted the percentage of African-American low birth weight infants in Dougherty County (the District’s lead county) is 14.1, compared to the national rate of 8.4. Even worse, nearly one in five African Americans in Dougherty County received inadequate prenatal care, earning the county an F in prenatal care in the Report.
In addition, the March of Dimes issued a National Report Card on Premature Birth in November 2009 giving the nation a D and Georgia an F, said Manning, adding, “The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected.”
Grant said “Due What’s Best” will provide education and services for rural women at high risk for adverse birth outcomes in Dougherty, Lee, Baker, Calhoun, Mitchell, Terrell and Worth counties.
“We’re planning a targeted public information and outreach program focusing on risk factors such as lack of folic acid, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse and limited knowledge about the value of prenatal care,” said Grant. “Another goal is to increase participation in maternal child health programs such as perinatal case management and WIC. Included in that is assisting pregnant women with presumptive Medicaid eligibility.”
CenteringPregnancy® has been shown to improve birth weights, delay pre-term births and reduce emergency room utilization, said Grant, noting that data from randomized trials was collected to ensure the results were not skewed.
“The researchers also found that women in CenteringPregnancy® programs showed up for appointments at a higher rate and were more likely to space pregnancies farther apart than women using the traditional process,” Grant said. “In addition, the women enrolled in CenteringPregnancy® programs expressed higher satisfaction rates than their counterparts undergoing the traditional experience.”
As part of “Due What’s Best,” Public Health staff will establish a mechanism for care after-hours and a referral process with collaborating obstetricians, which include OB-GYN Associates at the Veranda; Phoebe Family Practice Residency Program at Phoebe Northwest; First Choice Women’s Care; and the Miriam Worthy Women’s Health Center, which is affiliated with Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc.
“Overall, we anticipate seeing more patients from at-risk populations receiving a broader range of services earlier in their pregnancies. That will, in turn, reduce the number of low birth-weight babies and help close the gap between African-American and Caucasian birth outcomes, resulting in lower healthcare costs, more effective use of limited resources and a better health status for the region,” said Grant.
With a healthier workforce, communities are better able to weather harsh economic times and attract new industry, she pointed out. “Southwest Health District is excited about the opportunity to offer this program. We look forward to working together with our partners to improve birth outcomes and boost the quality of life for citizens here.”
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. More information about the March of Dimes is available at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site, nacersano.org.
For more information about Southwest Health District and the 14 county health departments it encompasses, go online to www.southwestgeorgiapublichealth.org.
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