After pregnancy, it’s important for a woman to take care of herself. The health of a woman’s pregnancy ends with a postpartum visit to her doctor four to six weeks after delivery. Every woman, every pregnancy, and every delivery is different; therefore, every recovery is different. The purpose fo the visit is to assess her physical recovery,… Read More

For more than a decade, Karen Smithson served as project director for Hold Out the Lifeline, a community-based initiative that engaged local churches in efforts to reduce black infant mortality. One of the signature programs of this initiative was Project Moses. Karen and her mother organized church women who crafted bassinets and provided education to needy families on… Read More

Hasani Davis and Dereamius Townsend-Foster are members of the first class of  Teen Ambassadors. They graduated the 4Me teen education series and completed a six-month Teen Leadership Council at their sites. They have spent the last year participating in regional activities, skillbuilding and  developing into peer educators. They share their role in preventing infant mortality: Dereamius: My… Read More

Rev. Alton Coles is a long-time member of the Healthy Start Coalition Board of Directors and currently holds the position of Vice Chair. He represents the AME Ministers Alliance. He shares his role in preventing infant mortality: Rev. Coles identifies his care for the health of all people and desire to educate on improved lifestyles and… Read More

The community came together on September 13 to bring awareness to infant mortality at the inaugural Jacksonville Baby Buggy Walk in the Park. The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition hosted the city’s first annual walk along with cities across the country in honor of National Infant Mortality Awareness month.  The event emphasizes the important role… Read More