Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, Inc.

“An Evening with Healthy Start” – A SUCCESS!

healthystartsarasota — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:34:19 +0000

We are so grateful to all of our Supporters for attending and supporting “An Evening With Healthy Start”! With your help, we raised over $4,000 to provide direct services to Pregnant women and infants across Sarasota County!

We’d also like to thank our generous Sponsors for making this all possible: Sarasota Architectural Salvage; Bowman Originals; SarasotaWine.com; Peter Acker; Dr. Glori Enzor, D.D.S; Coquillage; The Naked Florist; Loudes’ Nail and Hair Studio; Everything But the Girl; The Studio Salon and Spa; Owen’s Fish Camp; Nancy’s Bar-B-Q; Mattison’s City Grille; Cakes By Ron; Pastry Art; Carr’s Corner Cafe; Local Coffee & Tea; Publix; Sarasota Candle Company; European Focus; World Coin, Media on Main, MOZAIC Restaurant, Ophelia’s by the Bay, Knick’s Tavern, Christiana’s; Too Jay’s Deli; Pamela Wexler-Rubin, Shannon Imm; and the Sarasota Farmer’s market.

Please stop by these generous businesses and thank them for their support of healthy moms and babies in Sarasota County!

Click to view slideshow.

2010 Match-Donation Challenge!

healthystartsarasota — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:34:20 +0000

We have some exciting news!

An anonymous donor has pledged to donate $10,000 if we are able to raise $5,000 before January 1st. They’ve also pledged to match any additional contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,000 total!

That’s $2 for every $1 raised, tripling your donation!

In the face of potential State budget cuts, and higher demand for Healthy Start Services, fund-raising is more important than ever for our Coalition. And with this Match-Donation Challenge, your donation has never gone farther.

With your support, we can ensure that we will continue to be able to provide valuable and necessary services to pregnant women, infants, and young children in Sarasota County.Services that are in crucial need of funding include:

Breastfeeding Support and Education
Smoking Cessation and Support Programs
Transportation to Prenatal Care Appointments
Safe Sleep Bassinets and Car Seats (Incentives for Completion of Safety Education Programs)
Essential Baby Items such as clothing and diapers.

As we are a 501 (c)(3) organization, your donation is tax-deductible.

And if you donate $20 or more, we’ll throw in a free, high-quality, Healthy Start T-Shirt

Make a Donation

To make a donation, please call Education and Development Coordinator, Ciera Galbraith, at (941) 373-7070 ext. 307, reply to this email, or mail checks to:

The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County

Attn: Match-Donation Challenge

1750 17th Street, Building A

Sarasota, FL 34234Act now, the Match-Donation Challenge ends January 1st, 2011!

Thank you for your continued support and generosity, and happy holidays!

Footed and Blanket Sleepers Donation Drive

healthystartsarasota — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:55:24 +0000

This Holiday Season, the Healthy Start Coalition is holding a special donation drive for footed and blanket sleepers to give to Healthy Start families.

Why footed sleepers?

Not only are they cozy and cute, but they are also safer for babies than adding extra blankets to a crib during colder nights. Extra blankets in the crib have been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). To learn more about SIDS, and other causes, please visit: The CJ Foundation for SIDS

Our goal is to collect at least 100 footed sleepers before December 24th.

If you are interested in donating, please bring or mail footed sleepers (for ages 0-1), or a cash donation ($5/sleeper) to the Healthy Start Coalition Office: 1750 17th Street, Building A, Sarasota, FL 34234

Or call: (941) 373-7070 to arrange a pick-up.

The Twelfth Annual Lawton Chiles International Lecture & Symposium on Maternal and Child Health in the Americas

healthystartsarasota — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:32:47 +0000

The Healthy Start Coalition Staff is excited to participate in this upcoming, informative event! Please read below for more information:

Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Time: Breakfast at 8:00 am, adjourn by 2:30 pm

Venue: College of Public Health, University of South Florida – 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (almost corner of Bruce B. Downs and Fletcher Ave.)

RSVP: Lisa Sleek at lsleek@health.usf.edu by Oct. 20th

In your RSVP email, please include the following:

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organization
4. Whether or not you attend the Chiles Center luncheon
5. Whether or not you need a Visitor’s Pass for parking (we have a small amount available)

Event Schedule:

Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Time	Event
8:00 am	Continental Breakfast & Registration in the USF COPH Atrium;Presentations in the Sam Bell Auditorium 1023-C
Preterm Birth Prevention and the Role of Obstetrical Management in the Late Preterm Period
8:30 am	Welcome & Introductions Donna Petersen, ScD, MHSJohn Curran, MD Charles Mahan, MD
8:45 am	Overview of Preterm Birth in the United States William Callaghan, MD, MPH, Acting Chief; Maternal and Infant Health Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
9:30 am	The Changing Face of Preterm Birth: Social, Economic and Iatrogenic Causes Cecilia Jevitt, PhD, CNM, Associate Professor; College of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of South Florida
10:00 am	Break
10:15 am	Birthing of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative: Longer than 9 Months William Sappenfield, MD, MPH, State MCH Epidemiologist; Division of Family Health Services, Florida Department of Health
10:45 am	Current Florida Activities – Hospital Training Toolkit for 39 Week Rule Robert Yelverton, MD, Chief Medical Officer; Women’s Care Florida
11:15 am	Consumer Perspective Shannon Mitchell
11:35 am	Open Discussion with Panel and Audience
12:00 pm	Lunch at The Lawton & Rhea Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies
Twelfth Annual Lawton Chiles International Lecture on Maternal and Child Health in the Americas
1:15 pm	Welcome & Introductions Steven Klasko, MD Charlotte Catz, MD
	Implementation Research in Maternal and Perinatal Health Care Fernando Altheba, MD, Director; Departamento de Investigación en Salud de la Madre y el Niño, Institute de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria (IECS), Buenos Aires, Argentina

2010 Annual Meeting

healthystartsarasota — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:36:16 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

Text taken from Born in Sarasota, a collective of thoughts, articles, birth stories, events, and evidence in action supporting healthy, normal childbirth in our community, created by our newest Executive Board Member, Laura Gilkey.

On Thursday, September 23, the Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County held their annual meeting. In attendance were many of our community’s midwives, obstetricians, hospital staff, health department officials, leaders of health care organizations, families, educators, legislators and more.

Healthy Start Board of Directors co-chair Shara Abrams began the meeting by reminding guests of the uncertainty of the past year, with the Florida legislature coming dangerously close to eliminating all Healthy Start Coalitions. She also announced new Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Coordinator Beth Rubin. Jennifer Highland, Healthy Start Executive Director, then took the podium and gave an overview of Healthy Start (now in its twelfth year) and its services. She too spoke about the near-elimination in the legislature, as well as the downward shift in incoming young families to our community. Jennifer talked about some of the improvements made over the last year, despite the reduction in budget, including the addition of a Spanish speaking Certified Lactation Consultant to the care coordination team.

Jennifer went on to describe the Service Delivery Plan (SDP) 2010-2015, issued by Healthy Start this summer. I had the privilege of joining the Planning and Evaluation Committee of Healthy Start just in time to watch this incredibly thorough document’s creation. The SDP identifies key risk factors and trends affecting pregnant woman and infants, and uses those to set forth an activity plan for the next five years. The statistics and research compiled to create these initiatives came from a variety of measures and sources, all referenced and double-checked, resulting in a comprehensive and thoughtful outline of steps. The SDP identified the following as the most affective negative trends in Sarasota County:

smoking;
substance abuse;
obesity;
maternal infections;
unplanned pregnancies;
high cesarean section delivery rate leading to unnecessary pre-term births;
sub-optimal breastfeeding rates;
and significant maternal and infant health disparities among African-Americans.

The SDP’s plan of action outlines nine initiatives to execute during the next five years:

Implement “Right from the Start” and “text4baby” campaigns, both of which target pre/interconception, pregnancy, and infant health.
Promote uniform counseling messages and the “5 A’s Approah” for women at risk of continuing tobacco use during pregnancy or between pregnancies.
Improve screening for drug abuse among pregnant women, and advocate for routine drug screening and treatment.
Provide education to the community and enhance Healthy Start services to reduce the hazards of obesity during pregnancy.
Improve public awareness of the risks of maternal infections during pregnancy and the importance of prevention and adherence to treatment protocols.
Offer updated family planning education to Healthy Start, MomCare and Healthy Families clients.
Improve public awareness of the dangers of elective C-sections prior to 39 weeks of gestation.
Improve breastfeeding rates among Healthy Start and Healthy Families clients by working along the continuum from pregnancy through the postpartum phase.
Increase and sustain education and support for preconception, interconception and pregnancy health for high risk African-American pregnant women.

After introducing two women who have been positively impacted by Healthy Start–one through taking advantage of its services, and one by recognizing high need and taking the path toward the field of obstetrics–Jennifer passed the microphone to Sarasota Mayor Kelly Kirschner, one of two keynote speakers for the morning.

Mayor Kirschner framed his message by sharing his personal journey with maternal and infant health–his oldest child, Bodhi, was born at 27 weeks gestation and spent three and a half months in intensive care. Kirschner’s wife, Tracy, is a Certified Nurse Midwife who suffered a grand mal seizure as a result of sudden eclampsia during her pregnancy. After Bodhi’s birth by emergency c-section, the couple watched by his side as Bodhi literally struggled for survival, using machines to help him breathe. Mayor Kirschner’s message was clear: this was a necessary c-section, and the bill for Bodhi’s care exceeds half a million dollars. His treatment, albeit appropriate and one for which the Kirschners are grateful, comes with repercussions today. The cesareans and resultant NICU admissions that are NOT necessary must be eliminated if we are to improve outcomes and healthcare costs.

Kirschner cited the recent Health News Florida article that connected high c-section rates and populations with high Hispanic percentages. Kirschner challenged some of these correlations, saying Florida has been home to Puerto Ricans, Brazilians, Chileans and others for decades, and that their presence here can’t explain the sharp c-section increase. He focused instead on a hospital in Guadalajara, Mexico, that requires a second opinion, a documentation of reason, and monitoring and follow-up with the obstetrician when a c-section is suggested. Kirschner also reminded the Healthy Start members that while convenience, lack of VBAC access, fear of litigation, obesity and more are often called out as reasons for the high c-section rates, the highest increase is currently in women 25 and under–indicating that a lack of informed consent is perhaps the true culprit.

Mayor Kirschner summarized his message, inspired by Dr. Albert Bandura, by saying that a belief in self-efficacy is the foundation for change. We–mothers, fathers, families, policy makers, maternity care providers, hospitals, legislators, insurors–have to understand that to improve the practice of childbirth today, through a return to normalcy and appropriate care, is to reduce a high-cost impact tomorrow, both fiscally and physically.

Florida Representative Keith Fitzgerald was the second keynote speaker of the morning, and he continued Mayor Kirschner’s sentiments with a plea to those present to get involved in their state government. He very honestly described the near-elimination of Healthy Start from a legislative perspective, which was enlightening to say the least: he said that the Coalitions were never intended to be eliminated, but rather cut in funding; however, proposing elimination allowed the Coalitions to rally, and allowed the State to then “save” the slice of the pie (albeit a smaller piece), making all parties look heroic. As these sorts of games continue to be played, it is more important year after year that consumers and advocates make their voices heard. Representative Fitzgerald adjourned with a strong message: It’s up to YOU.

Jennifer Highland returned to the podium to present annual awards from Healthy Start for Volunteer of the Year (Liz Murphy), Business Partner of the Year (Sarasota Architectural Salvage), Community Partner of the Year (United Way 211), Family of the Year, the Mission Award (Shelley Rence), and the Lawton Chiles Award (Barbara White, Cyesis founder).

Jennifer then thanked outgoing Board of Directors members for their service, including six-year co-chair Jenna Norwood, who passed the “silver rattle” to incoming chair Shara Abrams. I am very honored to have been nominated and elected to the 2010-2011 Board of Directors for Healthy Start, along with many people whom I have respected in this community for years, and several new faces as well. Joining the board as honorary members are Representative Fitzgerald, Representative Ron Reagan, Ed Chiles, and outgoing director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Dr. Washington Hill.

The mission of Healthy Start is to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, infants and young children. I am privileged to join this group in this capacity, for I truly believe there is no organization in our community better poised to improve birth outcomes.

Florida KidCare – Ensure your child has Health Insurance

healthystartsarasota — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:46:12 +0000

Local health officials remind parents that preschool and school age children should receive routine medical care. This allows health problems that may affect school performance to be addressed in their earliest treatable stage. The Florida KidCare program was established in 1998 to assist families who lack insurance in getting low-cost quality health care for their children.

“With the fall flu season approaching, we urge parents to enroll their children now, ” said Virginia Brockman, Sarasota County Health Department’s Florida KidCare Coordinator. “We know that having a primary source for healthcare means that you can take your kids to the doctor instead of the emergency room when they are sick.”

Coverage in the Florida KidCare program begins once eligibility has been determined and the full premium amount has been received. The amount of each premium is based on household size and monthly income. Most families pay a total of $15 to $20 per month; however, some may pay more. Others may pay nothing at all.

Families are only required to submit one application, which covers all Florida KidCare programs. We encourage families to apply online at www.floridakidcare.org. This may allow you to get your children enrolled faster, and may reduce the wait time for missing information or income documentation. For more information or assistance with the application process, call the Sarasota County Health Department at 941-861-2813.

Guest Editorial: Cord Blood Awareness

healthystartsarasota — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:08:37 +0000

By Joan Williams, Director of The Center for Stem Cell Awareness (http://www.babyslifeline.com/)

Cord Blood Awareness. This important topic should be on the mind of all expectant parents and their health care professionals. Yet most expectant parents are not aware of the potential that cord blood offers their family. Most health care professionals are focused on the health and wellness of the mother and baby, not on future potential needs of the baby in times of illness.

We started saving our children’s cord blood over eleven years ago. Unfortunately, we had a member of our family diagnosed with Leukemia. Leukemia was a disease that cord blood stem cells had the ability to reverse. We didn’t give a second thought to privately banking our children’s cord blood. However, eleven years is a very long time and the area of medicine referred to as Regenerative Medicine has grown quite dramatically.

Today cord blood stem cell treatments have seen the reversal of Cerebral Palsy in children. Children have had their cord blood used to return their eyesight. Oxygen deprivation at birth has been reversed. Siblings and family members have had their lives saved using cord blood.

But what is cord blood? Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord after a baby is born. It contains a rich source of stem cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are non-controversial. Unlike embryonic stem cells, these cells are completely natural. They are the cells that all your baby’s cells stem from. They have the potential to not only treat but to eradicate over 80 different diseases. The medical term for cord blood stem cells is pluripotent, meaning they have the potential to become any cell in the body.

Yet in reality, expectant parents are somewhat overwhelmed with the idea of having a baby. There are so many decisions to make especially if it’s their first baby. Coupled with the fact that there is little to no education given to expectant parents on the importance of storing their baby’s cord blood. It’s no wonder that right now in the United States only 5% of expectant parents store their baby’s cord blood, which means that 95% of the cord blood stem cells are discarded, just thrown away.

Cord Blood stem cells can be banked either privately or publicly. Expectant parents can choose to privately bank their child’s cord blood for a fee. They then have the exclusive rights to those cells. Expectant parents can also choose to bank their baby’s cord blood publically and just like donating bone marrow the stem cells would then be available to anyone that matched and would need them.

Ten years ago the statistics showed that a person had a 1 in 10,000 chance of needing a cord blood stem cell transfusion. The most recent study showed the ratio has moved to a 1 in 217 chance. It is not hard to imagine how that number will continue to show the increased chance for cord blood stem cell use to be in the 1 in 100 range.

By saving your child’s cord blood at delivery expectant parents are electing the right to use these cells in the treatment of numerous life changing and in some cases terminal illnesses. No one is completely sure why these cord blood cells can change the outcome of numerous disease processes. Physicians and scientists involved in the study and use of cord blood stem cells simply state that they do.

These cord blood cells are like a medical insurance policy. The difference is that these cord blood samples when stored offer the potential to reverse a medical condition when all other resources are exhausted. To date there have not been any serious complications that has arisen from using cord blood.

There are over 2,900 clinical trials going on in the United States. Almost every top medical facility in the country is working in the field. Some of the diseases being treated and studied worldwide are: Autism, Alzheimer’s, Heart valves, Multiple Cancers, Multiple Blood disorders , Paralysis, Closed head trauma, Type 1 diabetes, Vision disorders, stroke, Learning defects, Parkinson’s, Spinal Cord injury, Deafness, Myocardial infarction, Muscular dystrophy, Crohn’s disease and other Autoimmune diseases.

This is why we saved out children’s cord blood. We think it is an important topic that expectant parents need to hear. That why we started our organization, The Center for Stemcell Awareness. Our goal is to provide a resource for expectant families and their physicians to draw upon.

Majority of Caesareans Are Done Before Labor

healthystartsarasota — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:45:10 +0000

By DENISE GRADY Published: August 30, 2010, The New York Times

A new study suggests several reasons for the nation’s rising Caesarean section rate, including the increased use of drugs to induce labor, the tendency to give up on labor too soon and deliver babies surgically instead of waiting for nature to take its course, and the failure to allow women with previous Caesareans to try to give birth vaginally.

Thirty-two percent of all births in the United States — nearly 1 in 3 — now occur by Caesarean section. The operations have been increasing steadily since 1996, setting records year after year, and have become the most common surgery in American hospitals. About 1.4 million Caesareans were performed in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available. The increases have caused debate and concern.

The concern arises because Caesareans pose a risk of surgical complications and research has found that they are more likely than normal births to cause problems that can put the mother back in the hospital and the infant in intensive care. Risks to the mother also increase with each subsequent Caesarean, because it raises the odds that the uterus will rupture in the next pregnancy, which can seriously harm both the mother and the baby.

Read the full article here.

Ready, Set, Grow!

healthystartsarasota — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:04:43 +0000

The fourth Ready Set Grow! Infant to Kindergarten Fair was a great success with approximately 6,000 attending at the new venue, Westfield Sarasota Square Mall.

The Fair officially opened at 11:00 AM to the public and ended at 3:00 PM.

Families came from all over the county, 97% of the families surveyed felt they enjoyed the activities at the Fair and the booths provided helpful information on services available in Sarasota. Vendors felt that the parents were very engaged and interested in the information provided.

It appeared that there was a higher proportion of moderate income attendees which currently makes up a grow population of families in need as unemployment remains around 11% in Sarasota. There were 54 different vendors and 4 mobiles parked in the lane outside of the Fair Entrance. Entertainment was excellent and varied, running from 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM with a ½ hour act from 1:00-1:30 PM. Hosting partners, The Early Learning Coalition, Sarasota County Partnership for Children’s Mental Health and the Healthy Start Coalition all distributed Save the Dates and Flyers (English and Spanish). Marketing for the event included TV, Radio, Community Calendars and Westfield’s Facebook, Twitter, E-blast list and Marquee.

Check out photos from the fair below!

Click to view slideshow.

2010 WBW – Door Decorating Contest Winners!

healthystartsarasota — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:48:59 +0000

Congratulations to our 2010 WBW – Door Decorating Contest Winners!

And the winners are…

Most Creative: Sarasota County Healthy Start Program

Most Beautiful: Sarasota WIC & Nutrition Services

Best Use of Theme: Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Best Pediatric Door: Comprehensive Childcare Associates

Best Obstetrical Door: Sarasota County Health Department Women’s Health Center

Click to view slideshow.