| The South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes hosted an Awards Reception honoring their 2008 Grantees at Brookland Banquet & Conference Center in Columbia on Tuesday, January 29. More than $600,000 in chapter community grants were presented to grantees for projects focused on improving the health of mothers and babies in South Carolina. This event was sponsored by the SC Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
The Greater Middleton Chapel AME Church and P.A.S.T.O.R.S. Inc. Collaborative is receiving $25,000 to fund the “Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies” Project in the Low Country area. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies is focused on addressing the incidences of SIDS and Infant Mortality by enhancing educational and support services to high-risk pregnant women, thereby working to reduce the disparity of birth outcomes for African-Americans. Through partnerships with business and faith communities this project will offer conferences and workshops to train volunteer mentors. Mentors will be partnered with pregnant women to provide emotional and social support to aid them in accessing necessary resources and follow-up after delivery. The project will reach more than 3,000 African American women. This grant is given in honor of Select Health of South Carolina, Inc., the Premier Prematurity Campaign Partner for the March of Dimes.
The Medical University of South Carolina is receiving $50,000 to conduct “Progesterone Outreach Program,” an educational campaign on 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P). Women who have given birth to a premature baby are at increased risk of having another early birth. The medication 17P is designed to reduce the risk of preterm birth for women who have experienced a prior preterm birth. MUSC will provide educational awareness on appropriate administration to obstetrical providers throughout the Low Country. “A previous grant project with MUSC in 2006 and 2007 proved extremely successful when data showed that the number of infants admitted into the MUSC NICU under 35 weeks gestation declined by an astonishing 25%. March of Dimes looks forward to the same great results that education on 17P can bring about for babies in the Low Country area,” says Jessica Mullen, Director of Program Services for March of Dimes SC Chapter. This grant is also given in honor of Select Health of South Carolina, Inc., the Premier Prematurity Campaign Partner for the March of Dimes.
This year, 22 grantees received funding from the March of Dimes South Carolina Chapter. Statewide grants that will also reach the Low Country region include a project with SC DHEC Maternal and Child Health Prenatal Systems to conduct a safe sleep educational campaign “Give Your Baby Room to Breath” focused on promoting safe/healthy sleeping habits. The South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative will provide smoking cessation education for pre-natal healthcare providers, and to establish a referral system for linking patients with appropriate smoking cessation resources. Another statewide partnership with the South Carolina Perinatal Association will support joint education for health professionals about maternal and infant health-related issues. In addition, a 2008 Community Award for $3,000 has been awarded to Together for Beaufort, a coalition of healthcare professionals focused on improving access to care in the Beaufort County area, for professional training and materials on the Centering Pregnancy Module of prenatal care.
Select Health of South Carolina, Inc. is the Premier partner of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. Additional partners include BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, and Palmetto Health.
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.
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.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE AWARDS RECEPTION EVENT |
