March of Dimes, KDHE, Amerigroup join forces to prevent premature births
by KHI News Service
The March of Dimes Greater Kansas Chapter, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Amerigroup Foundation, recently launched a “Becoming a Mom” website portal designed to increase access to prenatal education for Kansas women.
It is part of the “Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait” initiative, focused on clinical care collaboration and prenatal care education.
As part of that initiative, the “Becoming a Mom” program increases access to quality prenatal care in high-risk populations. It is designed to improve birth outcomes for low-income women and to address birth disparities among some racial and ethnic populations.
KDHE has expanded the “Becoming a Mom” program to additional Kansas communities through a new $20,000 grant from Amerigroup Foundation. Kansas counties currently implementing the “Becoming a Mom” program are Saline, Geary, Riley, Pottawatomie, Crawford, Wyandotte, Reno and Lyon.
“One in nine babies in Kansas is born prematurely. A recent Kansas Department of Health and Environment report outlining premature birth rates in the state has highlighted specific, at-risk populations,” said Jennifer Robinson, state director of communications for the Kansas March of Dimes. “The March of Dimes mission is to give all Kansas babies a stronger, healthier start in life. We have made great strides in reducing the premature birth rate, but there is still work to be done.”
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