ST. JOHNS COUNTY INFANT MORTALITY TASK FORCE2010 UPDATE

BACKGROUNDThe St. Johns Infant Mortality Task Force was formed in March 2006 in response to the high rate of babies dying in St. Johns County, particularly for non-white babies. The Task Force’s purpose is to find ways to decrease the infant mortality rate. It includes representatives from the community, social services, health facilities, churches and many other organizations in the county. Task Force members provide coordinated community outreach to increase awareness about the effects of domestic violence, smoking, prenatal care and baby spacing on mothers’ and babies’ health.

St. Johns Infant Mortality Rate 2001-03 to 2006-08 Three-year Rolling Rates

8.5

4.84.5

5.36.976.7

21.1

24.3

20

13.6

6.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2001-03 2002-04 2003-05 2004-06 2005-07 2006-08

St. Johns (Total)St. Johns (Black)

WESTSIDE WILDFLOWERThe Westside WILDFlower Clinic opened in April 2007, borne out of collaboration between Task Force agencies. Originally the clinic was based out of New Mt. Moriah Christian Ministry and offered health education and links to additional resources in the community. With initial funding from the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, the St. Johns County Health Department and Good Samaritan Health Centers partnered to develop and implement an enhanced preconception care community outreach and educational model focusing on at-risk women of childbearing age in the West Augustine area. The clinic was adapted from the Magnolia Project, a preconception initiative in Jacksonville.

Good Samaritan took over the reigns when funding ended. A new building officially opened in January 2010 across from New Mt. Moriah Christian Ministry under the name The Wildflower Clinic with new expanded services. Dental and medical services will be available, staffed with a full-time dental hygienist, a part-time nurse and numerous dentists who committed to volunteer time. The focus of the clinic changed from preconception care to “Healthy Lifestyles,” but will still identify high-risk women and make appropriate referrals.

ABC (ASSURING BEST CARE) CLINICThe St. Johns County Health Department’s ABC Clinic is free, open to any woman and offers public health nurses who counsel pregnant women regarding resources and assistance that may be available. When women come into the health department for a pregnancy test, a nurse meets with them regardless of the outcome of the test. Each woman is assigned to one of three levels, A, B, or C. A is for the lowest risk women and C is for the highest risk women and determines the frequency of contact. Services provided include HIV testing, syphilis testing, prenatal vitamins, referrals to Healthy Start and WIC, links to providers and transportation and immediate assistance with the Medicaid for Pregnancy application.

SAFE SLEEP SUNDAYThe St. Johns Infant Mortality Task Force successfully organized the county’s first Safe Sleep Sunday on November 15, 2009. Almost one quarter of all infant deaths in St. Johns County are sleep-related. The Task Force committed to holding Safe Sleep Sunday to engage the faith-based community in reducing these largely preventable deaths. The faith-based community has been recognized as not only a source of spiritual support and guidance, but also in many communities as an agent for education and change. St. Paul AME, New Mt. Moriah Christian Ministry, E.A. Kelly Sr. Memorial Church of God in Christ, Freedom Baptist Church, Family Worship Center and the churches affiliated with the Hastings Ministerial Alliance all addressed the issue of safe sleep by incorporating a safe sleep message into their services and bulletins or providing brochures and information on safe sleep practices. Churches urged congregants to remind new parents to follow the ABC’s of Safe Sleep.

HIGHLIGHTS OF TASK FORCE AGENCY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Healthy Start• - SJCHD and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Northeast Florida distributed more than 100 cribs and Project Moses bassinets to needy families.Flagler Hospital’s Maternal Child Unit• models safe sleep practices and provides verbal education at discharge; newborns’ discharge t-shirt now reads “This Side Up”, a reminder for parents to use safe sleep practices. Flagler Life Institute• has held two SIDS conferences with funding from the CJ Foundation for SIDS.Task Force agencies participated in AHEC’s “Pregnancy and Smoking Cessation” • Training.St. Johns County Health Department• expanded awareness of Medicaid for Pregnancy and Extended Family Planning Benefits Waiver.St. Johns County Public Schools’• curriculum for teen parents and child development classes incorporates “safe sleep.”

FLAGLER HOLDS SIDS AWARENESS SEMINARSThe Flagler Life Institute held two seminars to bring awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to hospital staff and the community, both funded through grants from the CJ Foundation for the Prevention of SIDS. The Flagler Life Institute provides education and research services to all Flagler Hospital employees. The Life Institute applied for the grants to be able to bring healthcare providers, nurses, childcare providers, social service agencies and families together to offer education on safe sleep and safe sleep resources. The Institute held a conference March 19, 2007 featuring Dr. Fern Hauck, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics SIDS Prevention Task Force, as the keynote speaker for the event. “What every new and expectant family should know about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)” was held April 3, 2009 and featured Julie Bacon, RN.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY INFANT MORTALITY TASK FORCE 2007 PARTICIPANT SURVEYThe Northeast Healthy Start Coalition and the St. Johns Infant Mortality Task Force conducted a survey of the task force membership to assess their ratings of and feedback on the task force’s objectives, activities and outcomes in late 2007. The results of the survey clearly indicate the Task Force membership was very pleased with Healthy Start’s facilitation of the task force process and the actions taken by the task force as indicated by the high ratings and complimentary comments from respondents.

The survey was comprised of open- and closed-ended questions designed to elicit views of the task force’s success in raising awareness, engaging organizations and addressing the issues of infant mortality in St. Johns County. Respondents were also given an opportunity to provide feedback on the process through which task force activities were implemented. Thomas Bryant III, with the Duval County Health Department Institute for Health, Policy and Evaluation Research (IHPER), conducted the analysis of the survey data.

The survey found:Survey respondents rated task force processes very favorably with scores ranging from 4.2 to 4.8 out of a maximum score of 5. • Community organizations were felt to be involved and included in the meetings and decision making. Members felt the task force • was diverse and representative of the community and successful in engaging and improving interaction between agencies. Members felt it was successful in identifying activities capable of impacting infant mortality, implementing its action plan and • maintaining focus on the objectives. Members found the most effective part of the Task Force was the ability to bring people together to understand the problem, • develop a plan and implement activities was most effective. Others were impressed with the innovation and networking.

TASK FORCE MEMBERSDr. Dawn Allicock, St. Johns County Health DepartmentWakilah Augustus, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of N. FloridaLynn Baker, Good Samaritan Health CentersVanessa Boyer, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of N. FloridaAnn Breidenstein, United WayLaura Britton, Flagler HospitalKeisha Dawkins, St. Johns County Health DepartmentLisa Duncan, Healtlhy FamiliesBrenda Fenech-Soler, St. Johns County Health DepartmentKari Floyd, Flagler Life InstituteKelly Franklin, Betty Griffin House

Paige Hartwell, St. Johns County Health DepartmentJeanne Heaton, St. Johns County Health & Human ServicesDwight Hines, Indy MediaSandra Lindahl, St. Johns County Health DepartmentElaine Mathews, St. Johns County Health DepartmentRaymond Randolph, St. Johns County Public SchoolsRev. Ronald Stafford, New Mt. Moriah Christian MinistryEliud “Pico” Torres, St. Johns County Health DepartmentBrenda Ware, St. Johns County Health & Human ServicesToni Wilder, Good Samaritan Health CentersSusan Vetter, WIC, St. Johns County Health Department

Toni Wilder in new WILDFlower Clinic