Programs and Initiatives:

The Maternal, Child and Family Health Coalition increases healthy births, promotes healthy families and builds healthy communities by focusing on:

• Preconception care

• Prenatal care

• Maternal mental health

• Immunizations

• Building maternal and child health capacity

The MCFHC accomplishes its mission and goals through the creation of a community agenda for improving MCH, public and professional education, engaging citizens, and developing/implementing programs that promote systemic change.

HEALTHY MOTHERS AND BABIES PROGRAMS

Healthy Start: St. Louis Healthy Start is a federally funded initiative to reduce racial disparity in infant death in at-risk families by promoting prenatal care and coordinating system level changes. Through this program, over 3,000 home visits are provided each year to 100 families living in 63113, 63120 and 63136. During the first four years of the program, women who participated had a 30% lower rate of delivering preterm than other women did in the project area. The program increases access to primary care which is evident in the number of children immunized. 91% of one-year old children in the program are full-immunized, compared with the state average of 63%.

Photovoice

Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR): FIMR finds gaps in the systems of care that could prevent future deaths. FIMR findings are used to develop interventions that improve access to quality care. One current initiative seeks to reduce the number of HIV infected women and their children who receive quality care. Currently FIMR is also implementing interventions to reduce smoking during pregnancy and increase education and awareness of safe sleep for infants.

2007 Infant Mortality Surveillance Report
2007 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report

Prenatal Care and Infant Wellness Collaborative: This partnership reduces infant death and low birth weight births by increasing early and regular prenatal care. The Collaborative is developing and piloting a coordinated, comprehensive outreach and education campaign in the 27th Ward of the City of St. Louis. Marketing and outreach efforts last year contributed to an increased demand for prenatal care in the Florence Hill Health Center such that 2 additional exam rooms were needed.

IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMS

St. Louis Immunization Coalition: This partnership saves lives and improves health by eliminating vaccine preventable diseases. The Immunization Coalition (IC) increases the number of individuals fully immunized, disseminates information about vaccines, and advocates for sound vaccine policy. The Coalition is proud to help provide more than 100,000 immunizations to area residents through its partners.

The St. Louis Flu Task Force: a working group of the IC coordinates flu vaccine promotion and education. The IC hosts a flu information line every year during flu season and holds regular educational meetings. As a result of the Coalition, vaccine providers avoided a potential influenza vaccine shortage for women and children when members were informed about a new state law requiring pregnant women and children under 3 receive a special vaccine.

Missouri Adolescent Immunization Outreach: The IC is educating teens about life-saving vaccines, in a teen designed campaign. The education campaign increases teens’ intention to talk with an adult or health care provider about vaccines.

CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS

Mapping a Course: Mapping a Course identifies the top community priorities for MCH and creates a roadmap for collective action, program and policy development, and advocacy. This effort, which is critical in an area known for its fragmentation, is a means to convene community members and providers and improve coordination. The top priorities identified by nearly 200 participants are poverty, access to health insurance, environmental conditions, and mental health. The MCFHC is now convening groups to develop strategies to address each of these areas.

Priorities of Community Stakeholders

MCH Education: The MCFHC provides education to build core competencies in MCH, such as cultural competence, and improve quality of care. Education programs convene the MCH community for networking and improving coordination. Education is provided for various audiences, including executives, providers, policy makers, community and front-line workers, using a variety of methodologies including forums, speaker series workshops, and annual conference. In 2008, over 150 health and social service professionals attended the first MCFHC conference which offered tools for building cultural competence.