| 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 Women’s Healthcare, Mercy Obstetrics-Gynecology and Michael R Hoffman, MD, Offices are receiving $30,000 to fund Oral Health and Pregnancy: A Education, Prevention Screening Program. Researchers have been exploring the link between prematurity and periodontal disease: a serious oral infection. Studies have shown a direct link between oral health and birth outcomes, and demonstrated that oral disease can have a negative affected on the health of the baby. This new grant project will provide education, individual consultations and referral source for oral health care among the at risk pregnant women in Greenville County. In collaboration with Greenville Tech Dental Program, patients will be provided assessments, preventive care, and treatment as needed. “March of Dimes encourages oral health care to be an essential aspect of general health care during preconception and prenatal care for all women. We look forward to positive results to come from this year’s grant project” says Tojuana Fulton March of Dimes Associate Director of Program Services.
This year, 22 grantees received funding from the March of Dimes. Statewide grants that will also reach the Upstate 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 SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy will provide professional education and technical support to five clinics statewide to increase access and utilization of teen health services in Aiken, Spartanburg, Lexington and Williamsburg Counties. 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.
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
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