ALEXANDRIA, Va. (PRWEB)
May 10, 2023

Today, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities announced the next phase of its three-year, $7 million grant partnership with the Elevance Health Foundation. The Black Birthing Initiative aims to reduce high rates of preterm births among Black women in three cities: Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit. The initiative will ultimately identify stressors and other health related social needs impacting preterm births and work with community-based organizations to provide community-driven interventions.

“As we lift up various observances from National Minority Health Month last month to Maternal Mental Health Month now in May, we must continue our collective work to ensure the voices and choices of Black people remain front and center throughout the year and are an integral consideration in every discussion and funding decision that relates to addressing health inequities,” said Valerie Rochester, chief health equity officer at CHC.

These community-based organizations have been selected as partners in the Black Birthing Initiative and are now enrolling expectant parents, which will help CHC create an evidence-based case study with a standardized screening tool and interventions that will later be leveraged by health systems nationwide:

Atlanta Collaborative

• Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia – a community-based organization that focuses on the full spectrum of maternal and child health concerns from prematurity to maternal mortality with a focus on advocacy, education, and access to vital resources.
• Center for Black Women’s Wellness – a community-based and family service center committed to improving the health and wellbeing of underserved Black women and their families.
• Community Speaks Consulting – a Black woman led consulting group on a mission to amplify community voices. Our vision is to be the bridge between community and service providers.

Cleveland Collaborative

• Birthing Beautiful Communities – a nonprofit community of birth workers or doulas providing social support to pregnant women in Cleveland who are at highest risk for infant mortality during the prenatal and postpartum period.
• Village of Healing– a community development organization located in Cuyahoga County that provides access to gynecological, antepartum, and post-partum care to women in need.

Detroit Collaborative

• Women-Inspired Neighborhood Network – a program of Henry Ford Health, originally formed via a collaborative effort of health systems, community and academic partners of the Detroit Regional Infant Mortality Reduction Task Force and supported by funders committed to improve infant mortality rates for African American families in Detroit.
• Detroit Health Department – a community government organization that has been building healthy and thriving communities for over 100 years. Its mission is to address the public and population health priorities of Detroiters, while continuing to provide public health services to address the needs of individuals and families.
• JFM Consulting – a Detroit-based consulting firm that partners with the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors to improve quality of life, primarily in underserved communities, through planning, strategy and evaluation.

The urgency cannot be understated, as Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes in the U.S. and 50% more likely to deliver a premature baby (CDC). Sudden Infant Death Syndrome disproportionately affects Black babies (American Academy of Pediatrics), and two-thirds of pregnancy deaths are preventable (CDC). This collaborative project will create a framework and interventions that can improve outcomes for mothers and babies on a national scale.

“One in 10 babies are born prematurely in the U.S., with Black women 50% more likely to deliver a premature baby,” said Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., chief health officer at Elevance Health. “Through screening thousands of expectant Black mothers, the Black Birthing Initiative’s community partners will help us identify stressors and other health related social needs that are impacting preterm births, helping us advance health equity for all.”

CHC is committed to implementing community-led, evidence-informed approaches centered in health equity and based on the lived experiences, needs and concerns of those most affected. Learn more about CHC’s Black Birthing Initiative here. Pregnant or post-partum women can lend their voice and take the needs assessment to inform this work.

ABOUT CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

CHC: Creating Healthier Communities brings nonprofits, businesses and communities together to improve community health. Our focus is health equity, addressing underlying issues and removing barriers so everyone can thrive. Our work is driven by community need, and we direct programs, resources and support where they have the greatest impact. Together with partners, we’ve been creating healthier communities for more than 65 years. Join us at chcimpact.org or @chcimpact.

ABOUT ELEVANCE HEALTH FOUNDATION

Elevance Health Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health, Inc. The Foundation works to advance health equity by focusing on improving the health of the socially vulnerable through partnerships and programs in our communities with an emphasis on maternal child health; substance use disorder; and food as medicine. Through its key areas of focus, the Foundation also strategically aligns with Elevance Health’s focus on community health and becoming a lifetime, trusted health partner that is fueled by its purpose to improve the health of humanity. To learn more about Elevance Health Foundation, please visit http://www.elevancehealth.foundation or follow us @ElevanceFND on Twitter and Elevance Health Foundation on Facebook.

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