| 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.
AnMed Health is receiving $11,288 to continue funding the “Target 40” project which provides an educational workshop series focusing on the prevention of preterm labor by increasing the knowledge of the sign and symptoms of preterm labor and reducing risky behavior among pregnant teens in Anderson County. Teens are identified for the program through local obstetrician offices, high school guidance counselors and social workers, and parish nurses from local churches. Participants receive vital healthcare information and support to improve their chances for a healthy pregnancy and newborn!
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Region 1 is receiving $35,314 to conduct Team Together: Reduce Infant Mortality, a program promoting safe sleep practices for all newborns and babies up to twelve months old based on American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines. DHEC Region 1 will increase education and awareness to residences of Anderson, Oconee, Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Saluda and Edgefield Counties. This grant project came about after a tragic number of infant deaths in DHEC Region 1 in 2007. Funding was provided in 2007 for an awareness campaign, educating parents and the public on the importance of safe sleeping practices. “March of Dimes is very pleased that new data demonstrates a decrease in infant deaths in the region. We look forward to more 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 residents of Anderson County 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.
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 |
