The First Step: Improving specimen quality for newborn screening: $8,968, Washington State Department of Health - March of Dimes funds enabled the Newborn Screening Program to distribute a video and provided enhanced training to hospital workers who screen newborns for genetic disorders. Representatives from 52 different hospitals attended, representing 93% of the birthing hospitals. Results include an increased awareness about the importance of the newborn screening program in preventing disease and disability. This educational project has led to a 21% decrease in missing documents and a 15% decrease in batching complications. Hospitals that had previous difficulties with the newborn screening process have improved significantly, leading to increase in timeliness and accuracy of the blood specimen and better detection of potentially life-threatening disorders. The Newborn Screening Program maintains a lending video library and is committed to providing additional education as needed.

Multivitamins/Folic Acid Project: $1,500, Mission Community Outreach Center - The Mission Community Outreach Center has established itself as a site for free March of Dimes materials, fact sheets, and free multivitamin/folic acid supplements for low-income women in Spokane County. Multivitamins with folic acid were distributed to over 600 women of childbearing age in order to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine.

Multi-Cultural Childbirth Preparation: $15,580, Kennewick General Hospital Foundation - Kennewick General Hospital provided advanced childbirth education training to 6 instructors, which enabled them to conduct 77 classes, educating 937 participants about pregnancy, childbirth preparation, and newborn care. Courses were designed to meet the social and cultural needs of the Hispanic, Russian and teen communities.

Nurse-Family Partnership Mason County: $10,000, Mason County Department of Health Services - The Mason County Department of Health enhanced its home visitation program that helps first time, low income, high risk pregnant women. March of Dimes funded an advanced training program for five nurse family partnership supervisors. Combined with outreach, training resulted in more than 127 women in Mason County actively participating in this case management program, increasing their knowledge about pregnancy and newborn care.

Grays Harbor County Childbirth Education Project: $20,620, Grays Harbor County Public Health - Grays Harbor County expanded childbirth education opportunities in an effort to improve prenatal education and birth outcomes in the county. This project provided childbirth education classes in English and Spanish to 52 couples in Aberdeen and 5 couples in Elma. Evaluations from the classes demonstrate participants increased their knowledge about pregnancy, birth and newborn care. The educational materials necessary to continue classes were purchased during the cycle of the grant, and classes in the Aberdeen are very close to sustainability; additional classes will be offered through the end of 2004 and possibly beyond.

Genetic Evaluation and Counseling of Couples with Multiple Miscarriages: $21,058, University of Washington - Through this grant, University of Washington has conducted a comprehensive literature review and established guidelines for genetic evaluation and counseling of couples with multiple miscarriages. With approval from the National Society of Genetic Counselors, these recommendations will have a major impact in helping health care providers standardize the evaluation and counseling of couples with recurrent miscarriage, improving the consistency of care and guiding allocation of resources. In turn, health care providers will have improved ability to identify and provide patient services related to preterm labor and preventable birth defects.

Native American Women & Girls Conference: $6,044, Northwest Indian College  - March of Dimes funds helped support the Northwest Indian College’s 8th Annual Native American Women & Girls Conference. More than 140 women and girls ranging in ages from 6-90 gathered to learn about health and wellness. Topics specific to the prevention of birth defects, premature birth, low birthweight and infant mortality were addressed in a culturally appropriate manner.

Promoting Mental Health During Pregnancy: $17,000, NCAST Programs (University of Washington) - March of Dimes sponsored a Seattle and Yakima based conference, training 53 Washington State health care providers to use the Promoting Mental Health During Pregnancy curriculum. This program helps health care providers address maternal mental health, and provides strategies on how to effectively deal with high-risk pregnancies, domestic violence, and the impact of unresolved grief and depression.