Twin Cities Healthy Start awarded $4.6 million over next five years
Grant will be used to reduce infant mortality in Minneapolis, Saint Paul
Sept. 22, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) Twin Cities Healthy Start in Minneapolis has been notified that it will receive $4.625 million over the next five years through the Healthy Start program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will be used to reduce infant mortality among the Minneapolis and Saint Paul African-American and American Indian communities.
“Too many babies die before they are born or before their first birthday and this is a special concern in the African-American and American Indian communities,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak. “Twin Cities Healthy Start is exactly the type of community-based prevention program that will help save lives and millions of dollars in health care costs down the road.”
Twin Cities Healthy Start is dedicated to ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged pregnant women receive the health care and social services they need. Services include outreach, home visitation, case management, health education, perinatal depression screening, interconceptional care and other effective approaches to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy birth.
The program is one of 102 Healthy Start programs across the county specifically focused on reducing infant mortality, reducing the incidence of low birthweight babies and eliminating racial disparities in perinatal outcomes. An area is eligible for Healthy Start if it has an infant mortality rate 1.5 times the national average.
Twin Cities Healthy Start recently celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, Sept. 15, when Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman proclaimed the day as “Twin Cities Healthy Start Day” during a celebration event at Minneapolis’ City Hall.
*The federal award constitutes 89.6% of total program costs; an additional $537,119 (10.4%) in personnel and telecommunications costs is supported through other city public health funds.
About Healthy Start
The federal Healthy Start Initiative receives $100 million in funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Health Resources and Services Administration. Established in 1991, Healthy Start is comprised of approximately 100 community-based programs that respond to the medical, social, cultural and social service needs of women and their infants. For more information about Twin Cities Healthy Start Projects, go to http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/dhfs/healthy-start.asp. The National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) supports the expansion of efforts that are rooted in the community and actively involve community members in their design and implementation. For information, visit www.healthystartassoc.org, or contact the NHSA at 202-296-2195.
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