Broward Healthy Start Coalition Inc

CATALYSTS FOR INFANT HEALTH EQUITY - PROJECT ABSTRACT: BROWARD BLACK BABIES MATTER CATALYST FOR INFANT HEALTH EQUITY, HRSA-22-066 BROWARD HEALTHY START COALITION 4620 N. STATE ROAD 7, SUITE 102, LAUDERDALE LAKES, FL 33319 PROJECT MANAGER: SAMANTHA SILVER OFFICE PHONE 954-563-7583, FAX 954-561-9350 WWW.BROWARDHSC.ORG AMOUNT OF GRANT FUNDING REQUESTED: $2,500,000 HIGH RATES OF INFANT MORTALITY AND ASSOCIATED DISPARITIES CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL HEALTH OF A COMMUNITY. IMPLEMENTING ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION STRATEGIES THROUGH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND GROUP PRENATAL CARE MAY HELP TO AMELIORATE THIS COMPLEX PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL CHALLENGE. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA ADDS TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT AND UNDERLYING SOCIAL AND STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS WHICH MAY IMPACT HIGH RATES OF INFANT MORTALITY. THE PURPOSE OF BROWARD BLACK BABIES MATTER IS TO REDUCE THE RATE OF INFANT MORTALITY, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE HIGH RATES OF BLACK TO WHITE INFANT MORTALITY IN BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA USING A COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED, AND INTEGRATED STRATEGIC APPROACH THAT ADDRESSES THE UPSTREAM FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH DISPARITIES. AS BROWARD COUNTY HAS EXPERIENCED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF EXCESS BLACK INFANT DEATHS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA COMPARED TO OTHER COUNTIES WITH HIGH NUMBERS OF BIRTHS, THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE USED TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE BROWARD HEALTHY START COALITION’S (BHSC) SERVICE DELIVERY PLAN 2021-2026. THE SERVICE DELIVERY PLAN IS FOCUSED ON SEVERAL OF THE HEALTHY PEOPLE 2030 OBJECTIVES RELATED TO MATERNAL, INFANT, AND CHILD HEALTH (MICH) AND FAMILY PLANNING (FP). THESE INCLUDED: 1) REDUCING CESAREAN BIRTHS AMONG LOW-RISK WOMEN WITH NO PRIOR BIRTHS; 2) DECREASING THE PROPORTION OF FETAL DEATH; 3) REDUCING PRETERM BIRTHS; 4) INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF INFANTS WHO ARE PUT TO SLEEP ON THEIR BACKS; 5) REDUCING THE RATE OF INFANT DEATH; AND 6) REDUCING PROPOR TION OF PREGNANCIES CONCEIVED WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF A PREVIOUS BIRTH. THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS SPECIFIC SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ADVERSE BIRTH OUTCOMES INCLUDING: 1) IMPROVING HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND QUALITY BY INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN WHO RECEIVE EARLY AND ADEQUATE PRENATAL CARE; 2) INCREASING SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO THE PRIORITY POPULATION; 3) INCREASING THE PROPORTION OF ADULTS WHO TALK TO FRIENDS OR FAMILY ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND PARTICULARLY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH; 4) INCREASING THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH LITERACY OF THE PRIORITY POPULATION; AND 5) IMPROVING PATIENT-PROVIDER COMMUNICATION WITH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND STAFF. A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT USING A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH WILL INCLUDE QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS AS WELL AS RESULTS OF FOCUS GROUPS AND KEY STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND COMMUNITY ASSET MAPPING THAT WILL GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIVITIES PRIORITIZED BY COMMUNITY-INVESTED STAKEHOLDERS. FOCUS GROUPS WILL BE FACILITATED BY INDIVIDUALS WITH RECENT LIVED PREGNANCY AND BIRTHING EXPERIENCE. THE PRIORITY POPULATION FOR THIS PROJECT ARE BLACK PREGNANT AND PARENTING WOMEN LIVING IN CENSUS TRACTS WITHIN ZIP CODES 33311 AND 33313 THAT HAVE BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED BY BLACK INFANT MORTALITY. THESE CENSUS TRACTS ALSO HAVE THE HIGHEST RATES AND VOLUMES OF PRETERM BIRTHS AND LOW BIRTHWEIGHT BABIES, TWO LEADING CONTRIBUTORS TO INFANT MORTALITY. A PARTICULAR PRIORITY POPULATION WILL BE HAITIAN WOMEN LIVING IN THESE CENSUS TRACTS AS THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED HIGH RATES AND VOLUME OF BLACK INFANT MORTALITY. BROWARD BLACK BABIES MATTER WILL SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GROUP PRENATAL CARE PROGRAM AT THE PUBLIC PRENATAL CLINIC IMBEDDED IN ONE OF THE PRIORITY ZIP CODES. GROUP PRENATAL MODELS HAVE DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED OUTCOMES. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT AND ENSURE THEIR VOICES DRIVE SYSTEM CHANGE. WORKING IN C