Coalition sets 2015-16 priorities

coverEach year, the Coalition adopts an annual action plan to guide activities and focus efforts and resources on areas that have the biggest impact on infant mortality and birth outcomes. The Coalition membership adopted the 2015-16 action plan during its June meeting.

The 2009-2015 Service Delivery Plan that currently directs efforts and subsequent Annual Action Plans follow the life course — from infancy through childhood and adolescence and preconception health to pregnancy and childbirth.

The full presentation on the action plan update is available here.

Infancy: Efforts are focused around infant mortality, health disparities, low birth weight and post neonatal deaths. Additions include:

  • Participation in the state Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network for safe sleep, breastfeeding and the social determinants of health
  • Creation of a Fatherhood Task Force
  • New focus area: Substance-exposed newborns.
    • Create a quarterly substance-exposed newborns task force
    • Increase partnerships with agencies who serve substance-abusing women
    • Continue the work of the Azalea Project
  • Bring back Safe Sleep Partnership
  • Partner with area hospitals

Childhood & Adolescence: Efforts are focused around childhood obesity, teen STI/HIV rates and repeat births to teens. Additions include:

Preconception: Efforts are focused on multivitamin use, smoking cessation, STI/HIV rates, obesity and interconceptional intervals. Additions include:

  • Incorporate yoga for stress reduction
  • Do more to promote healthy eating (Health Begins Before Birth, cooking classes, etc.)

Pregnancy & Childbirth: Efforts are focused on early prenatal care, tobacco use, maternal mortality, single motherhood and infant mortality. Additions include:

  • A work group to reduce women substance-abusing during pregnancy
  • Promoting healthy relationships
  • Expanding the infant mortality task forces to Clay County