| Palmetto Healthy Start recently co-hosted a “Heroes in the Field” award luncheon to honor those who are working to reduce the incidence of infant mortality and health disparities in South Carolina. Honorees from across the state were recognized and received ribbons in honor of Infant Mortality Awareness Month in September.
Individuals honored were:
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Debra Brown, RNC, MS, Palmetto Health, Columbia
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Judith Burgis, MD, University of South Carolina, School of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Columbia
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Stuart Hamilton, MD, founder/director, Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers, Columbia
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J. Michael Jernigan, CEO, Select Health of South Carolina, Inc., Charleston
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Roger Newman, MD, Medical University of South Carolina, Academic Affairs & Women’s Health Research, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Charleston
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Bryan Ohning, MD, PhD, Greenville Hospital System
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Helen Palmer, retired, Chesterfield–Marlboro EOC
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Danese Ruff, MSW, retired, Richland County Health Department, SC Department of Health & Environmental Control, Columbia
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Patricia Smith, CNM, Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg
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Covia Stanley, MD, MDiv, Regional Health director, Region 6, SC Department of Health & Environmental Control, Columbia
A committee of representatives from Palmetto Healthy Start, the South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes and Select Health of South Carolina chose the honorees.
Karen Johnson, Palmetto Healthy Start, said narrowing down their list to 10 people was difficult. “There are so many people working hard to decrease the number of infant deaths in our state. This event was a perfect opportunity to applaud those individuals,” she said.
Honoree Dr. Judith Burgis is an advocate for mothers and babies of the Midlands. She said the award is important to her because, “The award is given by three organizations that have helped mothers and babies in South Carolina. I was surprised and honored to be included in this group of recipients,” she said.
Debra Brown, another recipient, said, “It was very rewarding to be recognized by my peers for doing something I love to do. I would never have been able to accomplish as much for mothers and babies without the teams I’ve been a part of. There are so many unsung heroes in the Midlands, and they all deserve recognition.”
Megan McKenzie, March of Dimes director of program services, said the event underscores the goals of Infant Mortality Awareness Month. She said, “It illustrates how committed we are to increasing awareness about the contributing factors to infant mortality and urging community leaders to get involved in efforts to reduce infant mortality in South Carolina.”
Last year, the South Carolina March of Dimes invested more than $4.2 million in program services, including research grants and local community services. Through these grants, the March of Dimes is seeking ways to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s increasing premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.
About Palmetto Healthy Start
Palmetto Healthy Start is a member of the national Healthy Start initiative and is operated through a federally funded grant received by Palmetto Health. Its mission is to reduce infant mortality and the number of low birth-weight babies, as well as other health disparities, in Richland and Fairfield counties through education and outreach.
About Select Health of South Carolina
Select Health is a statewide health insurer that manages the delivery of quality and accessible healthcare to more than 127,000 people in all 46 South Carolina counties. Select Health’s mission is to help people get care, stay well and build healthy communities. Select Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of AmeriHealth Mercy. AmeriHealth Mercy comprises the largest family of Medicaid managed care plans touching the lives of 6.2 million members nationwide.
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