2008 March of Dimes Grants Announced
More than $600,000 awarded in South Carolina
The March of Dimes, South Carolina Chapter, has awarded grants in communities across the state that will address unmet maternal and child health needs. These grants are one way the March of Dimes pursues its mission of saving babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
Coastal Plain Rural Health Network received $30,500 to reach 1,440 Hispanic/Latina individuals in the Pee Dee Region; providing services that include Comenzando Bien (prenatal education classes in Spanish), prevention education in hospitals, and individual interventions for the most at-risk Latinas. The project also includes providing cultural competency training for healthcare professions.
South Carolina Public Health Institute received $30,000 to continue support of the Latino Perinatal Outreach Program. The program targets Hispanic/ Latino women in the Midlands area and provides prenatal classes in Spanish, support services, education for the risk reduction of preterm labor, and follow-up support.
Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Ob/Gyn received $50,000 to conduct POP, the Progesterone Outreach Program, an educational campaign on 17- hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P), a drug designed to reduce the risk of preterm births for women who have experience a prior preterm birth. MUSC will provide educational awareness on appropriate administration to obstetrical providers throughout the Low Country. This grant is given in honor of Select Health of South Carolina, the Premier Prematurity Campaign Partner.
The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy received $45,000 to increase access and utilization of teen health services; several clinics around the state will participate in strategic efforts to address adolescent needs and promote awareness.
Palmetto Health Foundation/ Perinatal Systems received $40,000 to continue improving women’s health, both before and after pregnancy. Project offers individualized interconception counseling to postpartum women who have experienced a previous poor outcome. Outreach and resources will also be provided to physicians and medical residents.
SC Department of Health and Environmental Control Region 1 received $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, by increasing education and awareness to Anderson, Oconee, Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick, Saluda and Edgefield.
Women’s Healthcare and Mercy Ob/Gyn received $30,000 to fund Oral Health and Pregnancy, providing education, individual consultations and referral source for oral health care among the at risk pregnant women. Greenville Tech Dental Program will provide assessment, prevention, and treatment as needed.
Family Connection of South Carolina, Inc received $27,734 to conduct a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome educational campaign to increase knowledge of parents of infants who receive specialized care in NICU, promoting SIDS education and awareness. This grant is given in honor of Palmetto Health, a corporate partner of the 2008 Prematurity Campaign.
The AME Church and PASTORS Inc. Collaborative received $25,000 to fund the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies project. Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies will host three day-long Summits to assist in enhancing educational and support services to high-risk pregnant women, thereby working to reduce the disparity of birth outcomes for this group. The project will reach more than 3,000 African American women, paring those who are pregnant up with a volunteer mentor who will provide emotional and social support, helping them access necessary resources and ensure that follow-up is conducted with each woman. This grant is given in honor of Select Health of South Carolina, the Premier Prematurity Campaign Partner.
Greenville Hospital System received $25,000 for the program Beginnings and Beyond, which will provide prenatal education and smoking cessation classes to 700 high-risk pregnant women throughout the Upstate. The classes will be offered in both English and Spanish, and will increase participants’ knowledge of the harm smoking causes to a pregnancy, reasons for inter-conception spacing, and the signs and symptoms of preterm labor.
The University of South Carolina Research Foundation received $25,000 to implement Centering Pregnancy for Latino women and teens. Centering Pregnancy is a group model approach to prenatal care is proven to decrease poor outcomes by providing support, education and socialization.
Georgetown County First Steps, received $23,298 to fund Good Beginnings, an enhanced education and support services that focus on reducing disparities in birth outcomes in at-risk women emphasizing adequate prenatal care, vitamins (especially folic acid) and good nutritional practices pregnant women in Georgetown County.
Chesterfield General Hospital received $21,910 to implement “Tiny Toes,” a comprehensive maternity program that seeks to provides services beginning in the primary care physician’s office, moves to the hospital during hospitalization, and follows infants upon discharge unto their first birthday, seeking to increase availability and quality of health care and/or prevention services for pregnant women.
SC Chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority received $20,000 to fund “Stork's Nest,” a National March of Dimes Partnership providing prenatal education and incentives for women who are expecting a baby and might not otherwise have access to these resources.
The Nurturing Center received $18,285 to provide enhanced preconception and prenatal education to pregnant and parenting teen mothers in conjunction with its Teen Parenting program.
The South Carolina Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. received $18,000 to implement an African American Prematurity Outreach Education and Awareness Campaign, focused on reducing the disparity of premature births in African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha hosts events targeting over 100 African American health agencies, community leaders, healthcare providers, and other community stakeholders such as elected officials and will reach over 1,000 African Americans with information, education and awareness.
Middle Tyger Community Center of Spartanburg County received $14,287 to continue funding education and awareness for Spartanburg County teens. Collaboration will take place with Spartanburg County School Districts Two and Five to provide individualized case management and prenatal classes to pregnant teens.
The South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative received $13,508 to provide smoking cessation education for prenatal healthcare providers, and to establish a referral system for linking patients with appropriate smoking cessation resources.
AnMed Health received $11,288 to continue funding “Target 40,” providing educational workshop series focused on prevention of preterm labor by increasing the knowledge of sign and symptoms of preterm labor and reducing risky behavior with pregnant teens in Anderson County. Teens will be identified for the program through local obstetrician offices, high school guidance counselors and social workers, and parish nurses from local churches.
SC DHEC Maternal and Child Health Prenatal Systems received $10,000 to conduct a safe sleep educational campaign “Give Your Baby Room to Breath” focused on promoting safe/healthy sleeping habits. Project will provide professional education to DHEC Postpartum Newborn Home Visit nurse to promote a standardized safe sleep message to families statewide.
The South Carolina Perinatal Association received $10,000 to support joint SCPA/March of Dimes education initiatives and sponsorship of the 14th Annual Perinatal Partnership Conference, an event that educates health professionals about maternal and infant health-related issues.
Family Outreach of Horry County received $8,298 to education and awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to the African American community of Horry County. Members of community based/faith based organizations will be trained using March of Dimes Pregnancy Workshop to hold workshops for African American women who are pregnancy and may become pregnant on preconception, prenatal, postnatal, and infant care; as well as, the signs and symptoms of premature labor.
The March of Dimes largest fund-raiser, March for Babies (formerly WalkAmerica) make these grants possible. 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.
To learn more about March of Dimes in South Carolina, visit www.marchofdimes.com/southcarolina
To register for March for Babies, go to www.marchforbabies.org
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