Healthy Babies Coalition
McLennan County Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait ®
Background Information
McLennan County 1 of 23 counties with highest infant mortality rates in the state
Competitive grant process through the Texas Department of State Health Services to support 12 communities
Waco-McLennan County Public Health District granted $200,000
Healthy Babies Coalition
Decrease preterm births and infant mortality in McLennan County
Raise public awareness regarding the risk factors for preterm births and infant mortality
Improve community’s knowledge regarding the importance of the last weeks of pregnancy
Increase provider support of guidelines set forth by American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
March of Dimes and the Healthy Babies Coalition have partnered to provide educational programs that have been shown to improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality by engaging local stakeholders, area communities and providers .
Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait (HBWW)
Partnerships and Collaborations Provider Initiatives Patient Support Public Engagement Progress Measurement
HBWW 5 Core Components
Partnerships and Collaborations
Mission: “To change a community’s knowledge, attitudes and behavior regarding preterm births, its risk factors and strategies to prevent it.”
Increase partnerships with community
stakeholders and local providers Host monthly meetings Educate members regarding ongoing issues of
concern
Partnerships and Collaborations – Expected Outcomes
Improve service coordination
Increase knowledge of available resources
Maximize opportunities for sustainability
Partners Care Net Pregnancy Center Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center March of Dimes Planned Parenthood Providence Healthcare Network Waco-McLennan County Public Health District Family Health Center Trinity AME Church Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Program Waco Center for Women’s Health Waco Foundation Superior Health Plan
Provider Initiatives
Think 39 – Quality Improvement Service Package Implementing a “hard stop” policy Provider Surveys Trainings- Partnered with our local FQHC to train
residents Webinars- Shared with provider contacts
regarding related topics Currently seeking opportunities to share info with
private physicians and clinical staff
Provider Initiatives – Expected Outcomes
Increased provider knowledge and skills, increased understanding of collective impact
Reduction in elective deliveries before 39 weeks
Observed Outcomes Increased awareness among providers of HBWW initiative (46% increase) Increased perception of positive impact of HBWW (26% increase) Increased preference for 39 week delivery (23% increase)
Patient Support
Target Population: African American Women 100 women of childbearing age (15-44 yrs) 76704, 76705, 76707, 76708 76710 zip codes
Becoming a Mom/Comenzando Bien Eliminating other Risk Factors
― FREE Pregnancy Tests ― FREE STD Testing
Patient Support – Expected Outcomes
Increased patient knowledge, empowered patients, early recognition of signs of pregnancy
Patient behavior: seek treatment for STD, increased early prenatal care, reduce risks for preterm birth
A total of 94 Pre-test and 86 Post-test surveys were collected. The surveys consisted of 11 measurable and 3 demographic related questions
Observed Outcomes Increased awareness of seriousness of preterm birth, low birth weight,
and infant mortality in community (over 20% increase) Increased knowledge that it is not a good idea to schedule delivery at
35-36 weeks for convenience (20% increase)
Public Engagement –Educating the Community
Media Campaign
Bus Advertisements
Billboard Advertisement
Community Events
Increased community awareness and education
Change in interactions among various
relationships
Public Engagement – Expected Outcomes
Progress Measurement Assessing Knowledge and Behavior
Community: Single-sample survey at March of Dimes event
Revealed high community awareness of preterm birth risk factors, and the majority of respondents considered preterm pregnancy as an issue in McLennan County
Pre and post test for class participants Revealed increase in knowledge and awareness about preterm birth
among Becoming a Mom participants Provider: Pre and post surveys before and after HBWW
program implementation Revealed increased awareness of the HBWW intervention and
increased knowledge of the 39 week message
Impacting Prenatal Care
Centering Pregnancy Partnership with Family Health Center and Waco
Center for Women’s Health Group prenatal care Among Centering participants in Texas, preterm birth
rate is 4.5% State average:13.1% (2010) County Infant Mortality: 4.9 (2010)
Timeline of implementation
Next Steps Implementation & Recruiting for Centering Pregnancy Continuation of Healthy Babies Coalition Applying for 2nd round of state grant funds Adapt patient intervention Strategizes to incorporate work with other partners Coming Fall 2013 Health Babies Report Helping the community understand how we can
collectively improve birth outcomes and reduce infant mortality
Thank you!